Beware of the clowns
December 10th, 2011 by admin
This afternoon, clowns from the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus will make an appearance at the Orlando Science Center. The clowns will entertain guests, but they will also be heavily promoting Ringling’s upcoming performances in Orlando. Today outside the science center, ARFF activists will educate the public about Ringling Bros.’ history of abusive treatment of elephants and other animals (including allegations of mistreatment that led to last month’s record $270,000 fine!).
On Thursday, Ringling clowns gave away stickers and clown noses to children at the downtown Orlando library, at the Maitland Public Library, and at the Seminole County library in Casselberry.
Each December, a few weeks before Ringling Bros. arrives in Florida, Ringling clowns visit libraries, museums and schools in the hope that local media will cover the event and provide the circus with free publicity.
We don’t think the Orlando Science Center or public libraries should be helping Ringling Bros. sell circus tickets. Please contact the science center and the libraries and ask them not to partner with Ringling Bros. in the future. Or if they do, urge them to make the event truly educational and include a discussion of the miserable lives of deprivation, confinement and abuse suffered by animals in traveling circuses. Contact:
JoAnn Newman, President & CEO
Orlando Science Center
E-mail: jnewman@osc.org
Mary Anne Hodel, Library Director and CEO
Orange County Library System
E-mail: comments@ocls.info
Ellen Schellhause, Director
Maitland Public Library
E-mail: eschellhause@maitlandpubliclibrary.org
Christine Patten, Library Services Manager
Seminole County Public Library
E-mail: cpatten@seminolecountyfl.gov
ARFF will demonstrate against the cruelty of the circus during Ringling Bros’ tour of Florida. Visit ARFF’s website for details.