02-23-2017, 09:24 PM
You may well be right, Catherine. If the receipts remain low after the reintroduction of animal acts, then that shows that public attitudes have indeed changed.
If receipts do go up again, then that will show (sadly - and I hope it is not the case) that in America there is still a demand from the general public for such debased spectacles. That would indeed be a sad reflection on some parts of society there.
Circuses often use cruel training methods. Even where more enlightened methods are used, it is cruel and unnatural to keep lions, tigers, elephants, etc. in captivity, forced to perform for the entertainment of humans. Are humans so in need of entertainment that they have to resort to forcing animals to behave unnaturally for their entertainment? Can they not find other ways to amuse themselves? What does that say about the human species?
It is a tragedy that this charity can't see further than its nose. Short term profit (even for charitable purposes) cannot be justified on the back of animal cruelty.
If receipts do go up again, then that will show (sadly - and I hope it is not the case) that in America there is still a demand from the general public for such debased spectacles. That would indeed be a sad reflection on some parts of society there.
Circuses often use cruel training methods. Even where more enlightened methods are used, it is cruel and unnatural to keep lions, tigers, elephants, etc. in captivity, forced to perform for the entertainment of humans. Are humans so in need of entertainment that they have to resort to forcing animals to behave unnaturally for their entertainment? Can they not find other ways to amuse themselves? What does that say about the human species?
It is a tragedy that this charity can't see further than its nose. Short term profit (even for charitable purposes) cannot be justified on the back of animal cruelty.
