I have just spent 20 years volunteering at an animal shelter. Over the years, we have had dozens of pits, and my conclusion is that they are wonderful dogs. I would adopt one in a minute.
They are smart and very affectionate, they will jump in your lap and lick your face off with love.
The downside of them is that they are very strong, they have a wider bite than other dogs, and they are extremely loyal to their owners. Hence if they sense their owner is slightly threatened, they'll intercede. Dogs don't do very well distinguishing between friend and foe.
The meanest breed I have seen in all these years are Chows. Those dogs can be real motherfuckers.
It breaks my heart when I see these gangsta kids with a pit and have a spike collar on it. The kids are trying to act tough, think having a pit is going to make them look tough, and the pit is just happily sauntering along, waiting to be petted. And loved.