Watch this - before you decide to go Ringling Brothers Circus!

[Anonymous]

You might have seen that the circus is back in town. Before buying tickets, you might want to watch this:

Ringling's Baby Elephants Tied Up and Electro-Shocked by Trainers:
http://www.ringlingbeatsanimals.com/bound-babies.a...?c=rbataba0311&s_src=padba_rba

And (of November 2011):
Ringling Slapped With Largest Penalty in Circus History ..
Feld Entertainment, the parent company of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, must now pay the largest settlement of its kind in U.S. history?$270,000?for violations of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) dating back to 2007.

It's not innocent entertainment, it's animal cruelty.

Most children haven an innate love for animals, but they would be appalled if they knew the abuse the wild animals have to suffer before they do their circus tricks.

And for those who might put this in the same category as eating meat and wearing leather shoes: this is cruelty for entertainment purposes (primarily children on top of that). Ethics and judgement calls evolve over the years; people used to turn a blind eye to clubbing seal pups and shooting off buffalo as well.

And shame on DC Public Libraries to put their fliers at their registers!

[Anonymous]

Amen!

[Anonymous]

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I have never seen so many anti pets/ animals people as I see on dcum. It is so refreshing to see someone who wants to be part of the solution. Kudos to you!

[Anonymous]

Some jerk at our charter school posted pro-circus "go watch the elephant walk" crap on the listserv. In this day and age I cannot believe that people still not only allow this but support it.

Thanks for posting this, OP.

[Anonymous]

As someone who is a vegan, I don't really agree with your point that eating meat and wearing leather are any more defensible or necessary than what elephants have to endure at the circus, but am glad that you are using this board to bring the abuse of baby elephants to the attention of parents so that they can boycott the circus.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the post, OP. Those poor animals!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As someone who is a vegan, I don't really agree with your point that eating meat and wearing leather are any more defensible or necessary than what elephants have to endure at the circus, but am glad that you are using this board to bring the abuse of baby elephants to the attention of parents so that they can boycott the circus.

Maybe not any more necessary, but at least less cruel? Animals raised to be killed and eaten - done and over with. Animals living years and years in cruel and inhumane conditions.

I'll never take my child to the circus. Awful to think about.

[Anonymous]

Do you think zoos fall into the same category? Seeing the apes behind the glass at the Natl Zoo always makes me sad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some jerk at our charter school posted pro-circus "go watch the elephant walk" crap on the listserv. In this day and age I cannot believe that people still not only allow this but support it.

Thanks for posting this, OP.

Though not at a charter, I guess I qualify as a jerk who loves the elephant walk. Have loved it as have my kids.

[Anonymous]

Maybe not any more necessary, but at least less cruel? Animals raised to be killed and eaten - done and over with. Animals living years and years in cruel and inhumane conditions.

To clarify, I'm not vegan because I feel it is inherently wrong to eat animals. I do think it is wrong and cruel the way that animals are raised to be eaten and the way that animals are slaughtered in America. They live in inhumane filthy conditions, and die unnecessarily horrible deaths. It is definitely true that the suffering of the elephants lasts a longer time, so in that sense it is worse. But I am not sure that they are treated any more cruelly than animals on factory farms or massive slaughterhouses, they are just treated cruelly for a longer time.
If kids want to see elephants, why not take them to the zoo instead of the circus? It certainly isn't an ideal situation for the elephants living there, many of their natural behaviors are necessarily suppressed, but at least they are not actively being tortured and are being cared for by zoologists instead of trainers with bullhooks.

[Anonymous]

Not sure I have it in me to watch the post, but I've read about the terrible things the circus does.

Maybe people looking for an alternative can stick with something like Cirque du Soleil? (probably moreso for older kids)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

And shame on DC Public Libraries to put their fliers at their registers!

Really, is that true? I'm in MD, but I'd be pretty horrified if they were putting fliers up for the PRIVATE circus at their registers. Any way to have that changed?

[Anonymous]

In total agreement. Can't believe the crazies out there who let their kids watch this stuff.

[Anonymous]

BUMP