Bum rap...
It's not the dog..It's the owner who is at fault.
When my oldest son was a baby, his Grandfather had a pit-bull. They were the same age so my son and this dog grew up together. That dog sat no farther than 6 feet away from my son at any given time whether outside or indoors. Nothing or nobody got near him if that dog didn't know them. We never left the dog alone with my son after all he isn't a babysitter. He was a gentle dog and an excellent watchdog.
It's all in how he/she is trained. Any dog can be vicious if raised that way. And never forget you can always count on a dog to be a dog.