Circus cruelty

I have never been to a circus protest, mostly because it has never worked out schedule-wise for me. I hear that they’re nasty. At fur protests, most people are in support, even if they are leather-wearing carnists. A bit strange, perhaps, but true. At circuses, the activists become evil humans in the minds of the parents hustling their kids to watch the greatest show of abuse on earth. Well, the greatest show of abuse that people pay to take their kids to watch.

From what I have heard, one of the complaints that parents make is that they don’t want their kids faced with the information that is being handed out. This reaction, to actively avoid any information that interferes with one’s preferred world-view, especially if it interferes with one’s pleasure or entertainment, is common. It is normal. It is why TV is such a great sedative.

Some things you expect to be obvious. Cruelty in caging wild animals, forcing them to perform should be obvious. The cruelty in the training of them might be somewhat less obvious, but not hard to grasp. Yet most people are shocked when presented with the information, and often refuse to believe. The cruelty is well documented, not that we have a right to treat sentient beings as property, no matter how nicely they are treated. When it comes to circuses, though, there is no grey area. The ethical choice is obvious as well as easy – don’t go to the circus. When there is an easy and obvious ethical choice, you would think the majority of people would make that choice.

Then again, I wouldn’t have thought it would need to be explained that stairs are not wheelchair accessible.