Head over Heels into Dog Handling

The city council of Watertown, NY wants to banish dogs from all public events because of one gruesome incident at the farmers market.
While I understand where they are coming from I must take side with the dogs.
I, in no way defend what happened to that little boy but seriously people, when...when do you realize that hanging onto a strange dogs neck to give them a hug is bad idea? Especially if you have never met that dog before?
Since we moved here I had people sneaking up from behind to hug my dog without asking for permission.

The public doesn't need protection from dogs. Dogs need to be protected from the public!!!

Dogs are put through impossible situations. They can't just say: Stop, I don't like that, leave me alone.
All they have are warning signs and if their owner fails to read his dog, bad things happen. Not because you have a bad dog but because your dog reacted like a (drum roll) D.O.G!

So why don't you do us dog owners a favor:
1. Ask before you pet a dog
2. Don't give the dog a hug if the owner doesn't give permission. There is a huge difference between hugging and petting a dog.
3. If you have multiple kids, one kid at a time
4. No squeeking, yelling, jumping up and down
5. Never sneak or run up from behind a dog to pet without permission.

Dogs and their owners have a right to go on a walk without facing the stalking from unruly kids and their parents. How would you like it if I sneaked up from behind your child, hugged and kissed it without your permission? You would probably call it harrassement and I would be arrested as a child molester and end up on the sex offenders list.
How would you feel if you were stopped every five minutes because somebody wants to pet your baby?
Dogs are treated like stuffed animals. The expectations of dogs are out of this world and our dogs are set up for failure on a daily basis because of people who "just want to pet that cute puppy", and when you tell them "No, please don't touch my dog", they look at you like you hurt their feelings.
A friend of mine has a gorgeous black sable gsd. She is asked on a daily basis and says no all the time. She says that he isn't friendly and yet people proceed "oh that is okay, it doesn't matter. Can I pet him?"
It is not okay. It does matter. She just said he is not friendly and yet people want to pet him?
Guess what happens if he bit someone? She would be sued and he would possibly be put to sleep.
Yet, its the public that needs protections from dogs? Can you see the notorious pattern here. No, the public doesn't need protection. The public needs to use common sense. Stop treating dogs like stuffed animals and toys. Stop treating them like humans. Stop applying human rules to dogs. If the public would treat them like dogs and used a little more common sense, accidents like at the farmers market could have been prevented from happening.
And to all dog owners in Watertown: grow some dog sense. Say "No, I don't want you to pet my dog."
The child will get over it. And please confine your dogs. Its not cool to run into loose dogs every time I go on a walk.