Circus Slavery
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals - PETA
February 27, 2006
Note from PETA: The following opinion piece was written for PETA by comedian Richard Pryor just weeks before his tragic death last year. We offer it now, during Black History Month, as its message is an eloquent plea for extending compassion to all, regardless of race or species.
By Richard Pryor
They were brought out of Africa and into chains in America. Or they were born into slavery here. Yes, I am talking about the first African-Americans to reach these shores, but I am also describing the animals now enslaved in circuses. The species and continents are different, but the stories are tragically similar. This is why it sickens me that the large, traveling UniverSoul Circus is owned and operated by African-Americans.
I hope African-Americans will stay away from this and all circuses because if there is one concept that we should embrace, it is that the enslavement of others is wrong. This is a legacy left to us that we can use to stop the exploitation of others. That the "others" in this case are animals should not matter. That they are capable of suffering does matter very much.
I have heard all the arguments in favor of traveling animal shows-that they allow children to see elephants and other exotic animals as they really are, that they're great fun and that the animals are well-cared for. I can and will argue that all of these are untrue. But my objection is more basic. The animals in circuses are held against their will by chains and domination. They are forced to perform a series of acts by coercion and violence because they would never normally do these things on their own. They can never choose their own partners, their own homes, their own food or have control over any aspect of their lives. I don't care how this is dressed up by promoters with music and lights, it is still slavery.
UniverSoul's poor record of animal care proves the point. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has cited the circus exhibitors for failure to provide adequate space for animals, failure to provide veterinary care and failure to keep the animal transport vehicles up to standard code. But UniverSoul avoids much scrutiny of officials by leasing, rather than owning, the animals it uses.
One of the elephants, Becky, rented by UniverSoul is owned by Carson & Barnes Circus. In a video shot undercover, Becky can be seen and heard screaming as a trainer tears at her flesh with a heavy, sharp hooked tool of the elephant slave trade called a bullhook. The trainer instructs his students to hurt he elephants "until they scream."
UniverSoul has also leased elephants from an elephant trainer called William Woodcock. According to the USDA reports, Woodcock commented to a USDA official that if he gets any defiance from the elephants, he'll "beat the hell out of them."
UniverSoul animals have lost their lives under tragic circumstances, including two kangaroos used in a boxing routine in 2003. One kangaroo died from complications of a deadly bacterial disease called "lumpy jaw," which can result from overcrowding, poor hygiene or poor diet. The circus was aware of the animal's delicate condition, but forced him to travel and perform anyway. The second kangaroo died soon after.
As for what we teach children about animals at the circus, I believe it can be summed up this way. Children learn that, for a few fleeting moments of entertainment, animals may be shackled or confined to small cages and punished with bullhooks, whips and electric prods. Wouldn't it be better to learn from our own history and tell our children that exploitation of others was wrong in the past, it's wrong now and it always will be wrong?
By Richard Pryor
They were brought out of Africa and into chains in America. Or they were born into slavery here. Yes, I am talking about the first African-Americans to reach these shores, but I am also describing the animals now enslaved in circuses. The species and continents are different, but the stories are tragically similar. This is why it sickens me that the large, traveling UniverSoul Circus is owned and operated by African-Americans.
I hope African-Americans will stay away from this and all circuses because if there is one concept that we should embrace, it is that the enslavement of others is wrong. This is a legacy left to us that we can use to stop the exploitation of others. That the "others" in this case are animals should not matter. That they are capable of suffering does matter very much.
I have heard all the arguments in favor of traveling animal shows-that they allow children to see elephants and other exotic animals as they really are, that they're great fun and that the animals are well-cared for. I can and will argue that all of these are untrue. But my objection is more basic. The animals in circuses are held against their will by chains and domination. They are forced to perform a series of acts by coercion and violence because they would never normally do these things on their own. They can never choose their own partners, their own homes, their own food or have control over any aspect of their lives. I don't care how this is dressed up by promoters with music and lights, it is still slavery.
UniverSoul's poor record of animal care proves the point. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has cited the circus exhibitors for failure to provide adequate space for animals, failure to provide veterinary care and failure to keep the animal transport vehicles up to standard code. But UniverSoul avoids much scrutiny of officials by leasing, rather than owning, the animals it uses.
One of the elephants, Becky, rented by UniverSoul is owned by Carson & Barnes Circus. In a video shot undercover, Becky can be seen and heard screaming as a trainer tears at her flesh with a heavy, sharp hooked tool of the elephant slave trade called a bullhook. The trainer instructs his students to hurt he elephants "until they scream."
UniverSoul has also leased elephants from an elephant trainer called William Woodcock. According to the USDA reports, Woodcock commented to a USDA official that if he gets any defiance from the elephants, he'll "beat the hell out of them."
UniverSoul animals have lost their lives under tragic circumstances, including two kangaroos used in a boxing routine in 2003. One kangaroo died from complications of a deadly bacterial disease called "lumpy jaw," which can result from overcrowding, poor hygiene or poor diet. The circus was aware of the animal's delicate condition, but forced him to travel and perform anyway. The second kangaroo died soon after.
As for what we teach children about animals at the circus, I believe it can be summed up this way. Children learn that, for a few fleeting moments of entertainment, animals may be shackled or confined to small cages and punished with bullhooks, whips and electric prods. Wouldn't it be better to learn from our own history and tell our children that exploitation of others was wrong in the past, it's wrong now and it always will be wrong?
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