Letters

<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   HAVE YOUR SAY Feel strongly about something? Share it with the community by writing a letter to the editor. You’ll need to include your name, address and daytime phone number. (We’ll only publish your name and hometown.) We reserve the right to edit letters, but if you keep yours to 250 words or less, we won’t ask you to shorten it. If your letter is published, please wait 30 days before submitting another. Send it to: E-mail: letters@heraldnet.com Mail: Letters section The Herald P.O. Box 930 Everett, WA 98206 Fax: 425-339-3458 Have a question about letters? Contact Carol MacPherson (cmacpherson@heraldnet.com or 425-339-3472).   Published: Monday, September 1, 2008 RINGLING BROS. Suit against circus to be heard in October Thank you for your Thursday story on PETA's recent circus protest and the debate over the treatment of endangered Asian elephants in the circus. ("PETA activist creates her own circus on Everett street corner.") While the article framed the debate about Ringling's care in general terms, it failed to mention the groundbreaking federal lawsuit against the circus giant for its mistreatment of elephants, which will be heard in a Washington D.C., courtroom beginning Oct. 20. This lawsuit is based on actual evidence against Ringling Bros., not just unsubstantiated claims by animal advocacy groups. Ringling Bros. employees have repeatedly been documented hitting elephants with bullhooks, which are heavy, pointed pokers with a sharp hook at the end. In fact, one employee saw "an elephant dripping blood all over the arena floor during the show from being hooked." Ringling elephants are chained all the time except when performing. Evidence from the lawsuit proves that elephants have been chained for 77 consecutive hours. This is just the tip of the iceberg of information presented in the federal lawsuit and this information, no matter how upsetting, needs to be shared with the public so that people, especially parents spending their hard-earned dollars, can make a truly informed decision about what they teach their children is acceptable treatment of wild and endangered animals. Abusing elephants with bullhooks and chains, standard industry practices, is simply unacceptable. Zibby Wilder Seattle Director of Public Relations Born Free USA united with Animal Protection Institute (plaintiff in the federal lawsuit against Ringling Bros.)

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