Difference between revisions of "Circuses"
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Revision as of 11:26, 30 September 2019
This article as been assigned to User:Bethany.Chester, and will be moved to from the draft namespace to the main namespace when completed.
<-- Visible editorial notes appear between <-- and --> tags. You can delete them after you start on a section or you can hide them by using the standard notation, adding an exclamation mark: "<!-- note goes here -->." They should be deleted, hidden or not, before the pre-publication review. The author should delete this particular one after reading it. -->
Introduction
Many of us grew up enjoying the circus and got excited when our parents announced it was that time of year. But most of us had no idea about the systemic, recurring abuse to the animals that went on behind the scenes in order to get them to perform for our entertainment. But it shouldn't be surprising, as the exploitation of animals is almost always associated with mistreatment and abuse.
In this article, we give some background about circuses and their popularity. We highlight some of the abuses the animals have been made to endure, and how we know about those abuses. We discuss anti-circus activism and share some information about circuses that have stopped operating and why they said they stopped. Finally, we discuss the success of some alternatives to the traditional animal-based shows.
All the ethical problems with circuses arise from a more fundamental problem, which is the belief that animals are here to be exploited by humans. As philosopher Tom Regan puts it, they "have a life of their own that is of importance to them, apart from their utility to us. They are not only in the world, they are aware of it and also of what happens to them. And what happens to them matters to them."
General Information
Brief History
<-- * a very brief history of circuses in general * include Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus and its announcement to stop using elephants and later stop operations, why they say they stopped, and the other reasons they stopped that may have come into play if there is sufficient evidence -->
Current Operations
<-- suggestions: * briefly, who are the big animal-using circuses, how large are they, and where do they operate * maybe list the smaller circuses * what circuses are still in business? * is business declining, holding steady, increasing, stats would be nice if available? -->
Investigations and Inspections
<-- Peta, other investigations, USDA inspections, etc. State general findings but save the details of specific abuses for the next section. Try not to rely too heavily on Peta's work, but if other investigations are not available, it's ok. -->
Abuses to Circus Animals
Circus animals are not willing volunteers who perform because they have a desire to entertain us. They are trained using abusive techniques, then compelled to perform out of fear of what will happen if they don't. As shown below, sorry living conditions, along with cruel handling and training are the rule for these animals.
Confinement
Transportation
Handling
Training
?Other
?Retirement / ?Slaughter
Danger to the Public
Activism
<-- * organized protests *?legal actions * ?other forms of activism xxx -->
Alternatives
<-- * Say something to the effect if there were no similar alternatives, circuses could still not be ethically justified. and... not that we need similar alternatives with so many forms of entertainment available... * You can discuss the success of alternatives * Cirque du Soleil * Suggest visiting/volunteering at a farm animal sanctuary * Other alternatives? -->
See Also
Footnotes
Meta
This article was originally authored by Bethany Chester The contents may have been edited since that time by others.
<--Other Editorial Notes
- What have I left out? * Does there need to be additional sections, or maybe another structure is better; this is not written in stone—ping your editor. * It is not necessary to show that circuses and attending circuses are not vegan. * -->
