Circuses must go
Letter published in TIMES HERALD RECORD:
July 04, 2003
Letters to the editor for July 4, 2003
I have traveled through the Town of Wallkill, and found
it charming and pretty. I am also an animal protection advocate, and have
had correspondence with Supervisor John Ward concerning his insistence upon
bringing in cruel, antiquated animal-user circuses.
I am wondering why Ward feels the need to misrepresent
the facts of this issue by telling me circuses are brought in by the state;
the fact is, every municipality in America has total say-so on admitting or
denying these circuses. Is Ward profiting from traveling animal acts, but
afraid to admit it?
As I said during the ordinance voting in the Town of
Greenburgh, "An elephant named Tyke rampaged through
Honolulu during a circus performance; it took almost 100 gunshots to stop
her as she ran through the streets, covered in blood; is it worth it for an
hour of supposed 'fun'?"
I say to Wallkill: Is it really worth it?
Kiley Blackman
Animal Defenders of Westchester
Yonkers
