Wondering about pits and dog aggression...

I think that in theory, a pit IS a good "take it anywhere" breed b/c they are supposed to be very friendly, family-oriented, sociable dogs.  However, now adays, I think their reputations precede them and the stigma gets in the way.  My SIL has a pit mix and they no longer go to the dog park.  Their dog can be a rough player, but when you have a rough player that happens to be a pit/pit mix, you have to be even more careful and set the boundary back further just because of that stigma.  I have the same problem with my German Shepherd.  In my neighborhood, the assumption is that Dobes, GSDs, Rotties, and pits bite and that they are trained to bite and should be feared.  I know this is rediculous (my GSD runs from my cats or backs away from her own food bowl if a cat stares at her for 5 seconds), but it's something I HAVE to keep in mind when taking the dog in public.  Unfortunately, the bar is set a lot higher for us and I'm arbitrarily held to a higher standard, but that is something I had to acknowledge and accept when I chose this breed.  It sucks, and I'm sure it sucks even larger object for the responsible pit owners.