By Jove, I think I've got it

Couldn't put my finger on why "pit bull" phobics bothered me so much, and seemed so familiar.
Then I remembered.
In parts of medieval Europe from approximately 1280 until as late as 1750, the illiterate, superstitious rabble in Europe used to prosecute and execute animals for crimes.
Bingo.
These modern phobics, spouting media hysteria and political propaganda (usually without benefit of grammar or spelling), remind me of the historic animal killers, the mindless rabble controlled by religion and exercising their mindless anger and hate by brutally killing helpless animals.
Now it's a mindless rabble controlled by media and politicians, but still exercising their mindless anger and hate by brutally killing helpless animals.