Let's talk about the elephant in the room.

Thank you for taking the time to learn about how you can play a part in preventing animal abuse on a local level by signing a petition discourages animal maltreatment in our own community. I promise we can find a solution and still eat lots of fried oreos and cream puffs. 

As a local resident, I have found myself enjoying the Big E since I was in elementary school. Every year, the live entertainment and bizarre foods draws me back and I look forward to attending. Going to the Big E has always felt like a right of passage into the Fall in New England.

Unfortunately, this past year, I found myself feeling distraught watching an elephant saddle up and trek in circles on the hot pavement for hours on end while delivering rides to eager spectators at the Big E. I have always had an affinity for elephants and was in awe at the beauty and majesty of having one an arm length away from me, but more so troubled by how unnatural it was to have an elephant in a parking lot in West Springfield, Massachusetts.

Elephants are social creatures and incredibly empathetic in nature. They have been documented time and time again saving other species of animals from disaster and protecting them from danger. Elephants have even been known to save humans in trouble and tend to them if injured. Their cognitive capacity and altruistic nature is remarkable and revering. Most importantly, elephants were not meant to be tied up on ropes being prodded with sticks to perform for human amusement.

I fear that the general public is mislead about the animal abuse that is being supported by attending circus events and it is the responsibility of the Eastern States Exposition to take action on a local level in mitigating it. Perhaps attendees do not truly understand the extreme price of this cheap and unethical entertainment and would consider seeking alternate forms of it if they understood the moral costs. Elephants that are part of these acts are torn away from their mothers who they would normally herd with their entire lives, forced to behave in unnatural ways that are forcefully taught through bull hooks and prods, caged and tied up when they need to roam for exercise and to avoid arthritis and foot diseases, and become anxious, depressed, and despondent as a result.

Because of the magnitude of the event and the number of attendees the Exposition is able to attract each year, the Big E has the capacity to lead the way in this essential movement and promote both moral conduct and public awareness of these crimes. It is to the benefit of the Big E to deny these vendors and recover lost profits through employing more appropriate and ethical entertainment options because the tenacious culture of people in this progressive era will respect and promote the decision, bringing positive press and attention to the Exposition and ultimately drawing national and even global attention to the efforts.

Circus acts, especially those involving exotic animals, may have a history in our culture but should not have a future. With the information we now have from studying the behavior of these animals paired with the known maltreatment and abuse used to train these creatures for our entertainment, it is impossible to turn a blind eye and therefore not only an idea, but a necessity to ensure it ends.

 

How can you make a difference?

-Sign this petition!

-Like the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/theelephantswalk

-Write a letter to exponews@thebige.com or Mayor Gregory Neffinger of West Springfield at gneffinger@west-springfield.ma.us  expressing your concerns.

-Most importantly and on a direct level, do not purchase tickets or attend circus events that include animals.

 

And remember, "Never believe that a few caring people can't change the world. For indeed that's all who ever have." -Margaret Meade

 

Please do not hesistate to contact me directly at mdion1390@gmail.com regarding any questions or suggestions as to how we, as a community, can prevent animal abuse.