The End of the Barnum & Bailey Circus

[heydaralon]

It is fairly obvious that Kath has no idea about what she is talking about. She is not even well informed enough to distinguish African elephants to Asian elephants. Yet she has erected a pulpit and decided to sermonize about how she knows whats best for animals that she is completely ignorant of. If elephants are highly sentient, than they would obviously pick performing in the circus, over scraping by in Africa. If they are not sentient, than their opinion is moot. I lean towards the latter.

This isn't hard Kath. I need you to put aside your cultural imperialism and think about what is best for the elephants. You said that they are highly emotional and social animals. If that is the case, don't you think they would realize that by donating their Ivory they are helping thousands of Africans rise about poverty and live fulfilling lives? From a utilitarian perspective, don't the needs of thousands excited circus viewing children outweigh the discomfort the elephant experiences by performing?

[Speaker to Animals]

Asian elephants are about as close to sentient as you will get outside of hominids (that we know of). They recognize themselves in mirrors. They use tools. They display empathy.

African elephants are wild animals. If we domesticated them into a new subspecies, they might become more intelligent like Asian elephants.

[K@th]

The fact that elephants are sentient and incredibly smart is not really up for debate. You can certainly have your own opinion, but you can't have your own alternative facts.

Elephants are smart. Deal with it. The celebrate, grieve, show joy, show anger... they can recognize different dialects and can understand human body language. They even show empathy, which is something that you are not even capable of.

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/echo-an- ... ions/4489/

http://mentalfloss.com/article/55640/7- ... ibly-smart

http://www.elephantsforever.co.za/eleph ... gence.html

Maybe educate yourself before calling other people names. Name calling is for losers who can't form a coherent argument.

[K@th]

That's not an African elephant, but an Asian elephant, and those Asian elephants who paint are brutally trained to do that. African elephants are not likely going to paint anything you'd recognize.

http://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsan ... -not-cute/

Thanks for the link. I did not know that. Now I have another thing to be pissed about.

I understand the diff between Asian and African elephants, though. African elephants are also incredibly smart.

[apeman]

Name calling is for losers who can't form a coherent argument.

[Fife]

Evil losers.

[TheReal_ND]

If elephants are so smart why don't we import them into the US and replace our farm equipment with the superior African elephant?

[apeman]

Elephant 2020.

If elected, and the elephant just stays in the oval office, shitting all over the walls, it will be a massive upgrade over previous administrations.

[TheReal_ND]

We already elected an orange orangutan. Why don't you sit down.

[Speaker to Animals]

If elephants are so smart why don't we import them into the US and replace our farm equipment with the superior African elephant?

Asians still use elephants in some places rather than mechanized equipment. They are actually really useful. The Asian elephants, anyway. African elephants are dangerous as fuck.