The Record-Journal (Conn.), March 21:
For the second time in a year, animal rights advocates are celebrating a big victory.
On March 17, SeaWorld announced it will immediately stop breeding killer whales, which, essentially, means an end to the theme park’s iconic orca shows.
This comes on the heels of The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus’ March 2015 announcement that it will pull its elephant act from the show by 2018.
Truth be told, neither SeaWorld nor Barnum & Bailey had much choice but to change. Consumers have grown weary of such animal acts.
The Associated Press reports “park attendance at SeaWorld dropped after the 2013 release of the documentary ‘Blackfish,’ which was highly critical of the orca program,” and SeaWorld reported a fourth-quarter loss of $11 million in February.
“As society’s understanding of orcas continues to change, SeaWorld is changing with it. By making this the last generation of orcas in our care and reimagining how guests will encounter these beautiful animals, we are fulfilling our mission of providing visitors to our parks with experiences that matter,” said Joel Manby, president and chief executive officer of SeaWorld Entertainment Inc.
Barnum & Bailey also acknowledged the changing times. Alana Feld, executive vice president for Feld Entertainment, parent company of the circus, said last year, “There’s been somewhat of a mood shift among our consumers. A lot of people aren’t comfortable with us touring with our elephants.”
Yes, times have changed, and for the better.
In its statement regarding the orca whales, SeaWorld said it’s also teaming with the Humane Society in an effort to help educate guests on animal welfare and conservation issues.
The Humane Society is excited about the partnership.
“SeaWorld’s commitment to end breeding of orcas is a long-held goal of many animal advocacy organizations, and we commend the company for making this game-changing commitment,” said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of the Humane Society.
While a certain segment of society will view Sea World’s and Barnum & Bailey’s decision as wrong-headed; a kowtowing to the Political Correctness Police, we don’t see it that way. Treating animals as indentured servants who exist only to entertain humans is not OK. It’s shameful.
The Providence Journal (R.I.), March 24:
Another attack in the heart of Europe. Another slaughter of civilians, with at least 31 killed and dozens injured. Another claim of responsibility by the Islamic State.
The attacks Tuesday in Brussels, the seat of the European Union and the headquarters of NATO, were meant to sow fear and confusion, which they did. They are also meant as another battle in a struggle of civilizations – violent religious fundamentalism vs. freedom .
We all are, in a tactical sense, soft targets. It would be easy for a determined attacker to single out an undefended place anywhere, blow it up and kill innocent people. It will never be possible to guard against every attack, any place, at any time. Tuesday’s assaults follow deadly terror attacks this month in Turkey, Nigeria and the Ivory Coast.
Yet, collectively, we in the West are not a soft target. We do not revel in the death of defenseless civilians. We mourn together, we work together and, under strong leadership, we can respond together.
A group of extremists send darts into our midst because we choose to be governed by free choices and laws, because we respect differences.
We must recognize that we are at war against an insidious and implacable enemy that does not want to observe civilized norms. America, taking a leadership role that no one else will assume, must work far more aggressively and collaboratively with its allies to weaken and destroy ISIS, and to keep track of its agents. We must call radical Islamic terrorism what it is and assess the threat honestly. Without sacrificing essential freedoms and our values of pluralism, we must learn from past attacks and look at the best ways to shield the innocent from new plots. Immigration policies should continue to place public safety first and humanitarian concerns second. But we should not alter those policies on the basis of waves of fear and xenophobia after each attack, and we should resolutely reject the demagogic cries of some, such as Donald Trump, to close our borders to Muslims.
Tuesday’s attack at the Brussels airport and a metro station came days after the arrest in Brussels of a top ISIS suspect in the November mass murders in Paris. The latest attack, possibly intended as retaliation, must not deter us from holding those who kill, or who direct killing, accountable.
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