TOW #18- Non-fiction Text 2

     Acrobats swinging from the ceiling, clowns piling out of tiny cars, dare devils circling the arena on motorcycles- the circus scene is full of different dynamic acts.  However, some of the most well known members are performing no more, changing circus life as we know it.  Last month, the Ringling Brothers Circus announced that all elephants will be retiring in the year to come.  Many animal abuse protestors are overjoyed with the news, as the circus has been a long-time focal point on the controversy of animal cruelty.  While this action may be an assuring and cautious step to protect elephants from violence, what if there were no violence in the first place?
     To make an animal do something, one has the choice to choose between positive reinforcement or punishment.   In any case, punishment is completely unacceptable, as it leads to the mistreatment of animals.  This infamous form of training has unfortunately become associated with all circuses, including Ringling Bros.  But for Joey Frisco III, elephant manager for the company, his first priority "is and has always been to make the animals happy and healthy."  Many of the gray, friendly giants have grown up in the circus atmosphere, raised in captivity since birth.  But, if treated with complete respect, how is this act any different than owning a pet?  There are certainly times when a pet owner finds themselves making a dog or cat do something, whether it is training them to use a litter box or making them perform tricks.  When animals have no wildlife experience to compare to, they turn to humans and form relationships similar to a friendship- man's best friend can be a dog or an elephant.
     In such a fast changing world, many of life's commonalities are diminishing.  For decades, the circus has been a classic form of entertainment, and the elephants are very often the staple of the show.  While animal cruelty should never be condoned in any environment, such sweeping generalizations should not be influencing the classic show business culture.  Is the retirement of elephants really a step to saving them?  Or is it just a solution to a generation that is asking for too much?  Eventually, we will come to the point where children will no longer know of santa claus; where the Pledge of Allegiance will no longer be in our repertoire; where the circus will no longer be the circus.
   
http://www.nj.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2016/02/ringling_bros_to_retire_elephants_to_florida_in_ma.html