Ketchum, Idaho’s City Council is taking steps to ban circus acts involving wild animals. The nearby Sun Valley City Council is considering the same.
Why? Because a group of students from the local Sage School told them they had no interest in watching wild animals perform gratuitous tricks. “One of the circus industry’s biggest arguments is that kids like us want to see elephants and other animals,” the kids said. “We don’t want the circus to use us kids as an excuse to hurt animals … we have learned the truth.”
These students are young: 10, 11, 12, 14. But they understand what many grown-ups still don’t — that the last place tigers and elephants should be found is under the glaring lights of a circus ring, made to perform unnatural stunts.
Just down the road, Hailey, Idaho, rejected the kids’ arguments. The city council there voted unanimously to let the Jordan World Circus, which includes elephants and tigers, come to town.
A fourth local government, the Blaine County Commission, did not vote either way, but assigned a prosecuting attorney to research the matter.
Hey, you can’t win them all. I’m impressed that these students made the effort. They’re helping make a difference for the Billies of the world, one small step at a time.