Now you’ve done it. Look out for the personal attacks that are sure to follow. Outlawing all pit bulls seems to be a harsh overreaction to this problem, but what other solution is there?
Requiring a license, and a big big liability insurance policy. When an insurance company finishes setting the requirements (vet care, veterinary behaviorist assessment, fenced yard with locking gates, home owned not rented, solid employment and credit history, etc.), 99% of the people who currently own pit bulls won't qualify for any insurance, or will be looking at $10,000+ a year in premiums that they have no capacity to pay. The other 1% are the ones that pose no significant risk, i.e. the highly responsible people who recognize the dangers of a large strong dog, and wouldn't keep it around the house with a toddler after it's killed the family's cat, and who have financial stability to lose if they get sued for failing to confine/restrain their dog.
Here's an attempt at a partial solution...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1823172/posts
Increased penalties for irresponsible owners is one leg of the stool.
It helps only incidentally with prevention by hammering home
that there are serious consequences to irresponsible ownership.
Focusing on prevention leads to two other conclusions.
All too many times before an attack occurs there have been complaints made against the owners,
letting their dogs run loose/inadequate containment/dog behaving aggressively etc.
or reports of free roaming dogs.
Whether through lack of will or resources,
or because leash/containment laws are too lax or non-existent,
the complaints are not resolved by animal control and the situation ends in tragedy.
So there must be rigorous enforcement of existing laws
and if need be enacting of leash/containment laws.
Finally, people need to be educated about dogs generally.
Owners must be knowledgeable about the breed they have choosen,
the factors that may increase the likelihood of aggressive
and what responsible dog ownership entails.
There are a number of ways this can be done, through schools, as part of the licensing process,
by community awareness programs and by the activism of responsible dog owners.