These accusations have been around for so long, I hope something happens this time.

This is exactly why I won't take my son to any circus that uses animals. I would guess that it is worse than this during the animals' initial training. The poor elephant that swayed and kicked was likely suffering what is sometimes known as "zoo psychosis". This condition can cause repetitive and sometimes injurious behaviors such as this. It's usually the result of overly confined living conditions and insufficient stimulation.

Another problem is that PETA has done so many ridiculous things that people are having trouble trusting their credibility, even when there is clear video evidence. At least one commenter said there was no abuse taking place, and another said that PETA had snuck in and abuse the animals themselves. Of course, that's asinine, but PETA can't be surprised when their motivation and truthfulness are called into doubt.

It was clear to me from the behavior of the trainers that their methods were routine and not the result of duress in the moment. Those poor creatures. For once Peta is right in confronting the industry of animal circuses. The time of forcing intelligent creatures to perform for our entertainment is long over. We need to evolve away from finding it entertaining in any way. It made me sick.

Unfortunately it's not.

I know I'm lumping all animal rights protesters here, but as PETA are at least near the frontline then I think it's relevant.

I sat on the jury of a trial against some animal rights protesters who prolonged the suffering of animals for their own promotional purposes.

These idiots (trainers!) are pushing their luck, these animals could easily turn and they don't forget.

Trouble is if they do turn then they would be destroyed as dangerous!

lumping people together is never a good thing, I wait a while before telling new people that I am a vegetarian because I don't want them to associate me with peta.

I don't support circuses or zoos. They're just not right. (endangered species being protected and released are a different matter)

Circuses are responsible for so many people fraudulently claiming to fear clowns, which is another annoying story. But I've always thought of zoos in the same context as NASA's manned space-flight program. Neither charter makes much sense when you look at it on paper -- at their numbers. But they both provide enough public "Ooh, and ahh" to help out a great deal for the other, less-sexy aspects of their efforts, financially.

From a purely-personal perspective, the fact that I got to actually see a recovered Saturn V hull, and a brand-new Space Shuttle orbiter, was a whole lot like the experience of actually seeing Elephants and Giraffes, etc., at the zoo, as a kid. All those experiences fueled an intense desire to learn more about our world, and my upbringing would have been impoverished without them.