Editor,
Unbeknownst to the public, animals in circuses often suffer from stress, neglect, isolation and, more importantly, they suffer from intentional brutality/abuse. Stressed and abused animals, exploited in the entertainment industry, have brought about numerous documented injuries, traumas and deaths, both to humans and to the animals.
Ringling Bros. Circus' publicity portrays safe, family fun-filled hours of entertainment with bright lights, blaring music, colorful costumes, decorated elephants, wild animals performing unnatural tricks - bullhooks are used to pierce the elephants' most sensitive areas of their bodies to keep them in line and when not performing to their demands. For a lifetime of misery, animals are forced to perform for the public, giving them a few hours of entertainment.
After performing in a city/town, the animals are transported by boxcars/trucks to the next town. During the hot/cold weather, they suffer from the heat/cold, often deprived of food and water for extended periods.
If the children were aware of the animals' suffering, they no doubt would not want to attend the circus. I would like to suggest reviewing your local newspapers and Sunday's Datebook section of the San Francisco Chronicle, Kids Calendar of Events, listing many activities that are intended to educate/entertain the young as well as for the family.
Animal-free circuses are generally in the San Francisco/Bay Area: Cirque du Soleil, Earth Circus, The New Pickle Circus, Make a Circus. Instead of supporting Ringling Bros. and other circuses, allowing the cruelty to continue, ask yourself "Are circuses with animals really worth it?"
Madeline Bolbol
Belmont
Please purchase a Premium Subscription to continue reading.
To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.
We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.
A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means you’re helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!
Only subscribers can view and post comments on articles.
Already a subscriber? Login Here
Sorry, an error occurred.
Already Subscribed!
Cancel anytime
Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account.
No promotional rates found.
Secure & Encrypted
Thank you.
Your gift purchase was successful! Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
| Rate: | |
| Begins: | |
| Transaction ID: |
A receipt was sent to your email.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.