Ahh, it’s almost February, and as such it’s time for the annual visit of the Cruelest Show On Earth. You can tell because MomsCharlotte starts giving away passes and other circus junk. And every year, about this time, I feel a little bit ashamed and angry to be associated with anyone promoting the circus. And, just like every early February, here is my obligatory anti-circus rant.
Let’s start with this video (explicit language- I watch with the sound off). I wish I could embed it here, but I can't.
If you are planning a visit to the circus, click the link. It’s not as pleasant to watch the animals get beaten into submission as it is to see them once they’re fully afraid of their trainers, but it’s a lot cheaper (I mean, unless you won tickets through this website, in which case your tickets may be free, but if my vote mattered you would be forced to watch it anyway).
Now, normally I try to offer up a family friendly alternative to Ringling Bros. There is admittedly a certain appeal to the circus: costumes, cool human tricks, circus peanuts, expensive souvenirs, and, of course, the depressing clowns. I also think that if one is going to rant against something, they should propose an alternative. And I have- three years in a row.
So instead of yet again rehashing alternatives (and there are plenty right here on our site) I’m going to really get folks fired up and question their morality. That's right- I suggest that you have a moral obligation to shun this kind of “entertainment”. If you viewed the video above you have seen elephants hit in the face. You have seen hooks dug into their skin to force them to move quicker. You have seen tigers whipped and hit. You have even gotten some bonus footage of an elephant with circus induced stereotypic disorder. Why? For your money. It's that simple. Now, maybe you and Michael Vick don’t have any moral problem with this, but many religious texts do:
"All the animals in the forest are Mine and the cattle on thousands of hills. All the wild birds are Mine and all living things in the fields."
Psalm 50:10, 11
"A good man takes care of his animals, but wicked men are cruel to theirs." Proverbs 12:10
"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves. Protect the rights of all who are helpless."
Proverbs 31:8
“If you have men who will exclude any of God's creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men.”—Francis of Assisi
“Animals are God’s creatures. He surrounds them with his providential care. By their mere existence they bless him and give him glory. Thus men owe them kindness. We should recall the gentleness with which saints like St. Francis of Assisi or St. Philip Neri treated animals.”—Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraph 2416
“Because he has pity on every living creature, therefore is a man called ‘holy’”—Buddhism Dhammapada
“They too, are created by the same loving hand of God which Created us...It is our duty to Protect Them and to promote their well-being.”—Mother Teresa.
“It is contrary to human dignity to cause animals to suffer and die needlessly.”—Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraph 2418
“I will make a covenant on behalf of Israel with the wild beasts, the birds of the air, and the things that creep on the hearths that all living creatures may lie down without living in fear.” —Hosea 2:18
“For that which befalleth the sons of men, befalleth beasts…As one dieth so dieth the other. Yet they have all one breath. So that a man hath no pre-eminence over a beast.”— Ecclesiastes 3:19
“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated…I hold that, the more helpless a creature, the more entitled it is to protection by [people] from the cruelty of [human kind]”—Mahatma Gandhi
“Life is life—whether in a cat, or dog or man. There is no difference there between a cat or a man. The idea of difference is a human conception for man's own advantage.”—Sri Aurobindo
“A good deed done to an animal is as meritorious as a good deed done to a human being, while an act of cruelty to an animal is a bad as an act of cruelty to a human being.”— Mohammed
“The obligations of law and equity reach only to mankind; but kindness and beneficence should be extended to the creatures of every species, and these will flow from the breast of a true man, as streams that issue from the living fountain.”—Plutarch
Furthermore, let us not forget that one of the most respected traits in humanity- something we proudly tout sets us apart from all the other animals- is our ability to use logic and reason. And simply put, there is absolutely no logical reason animals of any sort should be bred or stolen, then made to wear costumes and be beaten into doing tricks for your entertainment. None.
Now that you’ve seen the video featuring the very same animals coming to Charlotte you have a moral choice. You can choose to ignore the obvious pain and senseless manipulation of the animals- knowing that you, too, are being manipulated to give your money to people who have no qualms punching an elephant right in the damn face for it. Or you could do literally anything else and make a better choice.
If you want to see exotic animals, go to the zoo.
If you want to see flashy costumes go to the theater.
If you want expensive souvenirs go to Disney World.
If you want to see clowns go to a therapist.
Avoid the circus. Use your animal viewing dollar elsewhere. Use your entertainment dollar elsewhere. Use your family time teaching respect and morality. Think of what your God would say about the circus. Use your purchasing power to tell people to stop treating animals like they are theirs for entertainment.
Get involved: https://www.facebook.com/events/147755082004774/
