Nos hacemos eco de esta carta publicada hace unos días en el periódico 20 Minutes donde una madre informa al claustro de profesores del colegio de su hijo sobre los motivos por los que éste no participará en la visita al circo organizada desde el centro escolar.
Desde Aula Animal We express our full support for this mother and request that this school remove the activity from the Complementary Activities Program, considering that it violates animal rights and, consequently, cannot be educational for children.
Dear Faculty:
I am writing to inform you that our son will not be attending the field trip to the circus with his class next Friday, February 21st. The reason is that at home we try to instill in him a love for animals and respect for their lives, freedom, and dignity. And in a circus with animals, none of these three values are respected. We will explain our position.
A circus performance with animals forces them to perform acts that can in no way be considered "natural" for them. This is an essential aspect of the general animal protection regulations in force in several Autonomous Communities, which, in Article 4.2.f, forming part of the list of general prohibitions regarding our treatment of animals, includes "Forcing them to perform behaviors and attitudes that are foreign and inappropriate to their condition or that imply degrading treatment." It is evident that the acts that animals commonly perform in the ring do not correspond in any way to what could be identified as "attitudes appropriate to their condition," unless the contrary is proven; that is, that it is "natural to the condition of elephants," for example, to lift humans with their legs or dance while standing on a small stool.
Furthermore, we do not know the method used to achieve such behaviors, and it most likely had to do with the imposition of a violent and aggressive discipline, especially in wild animals with a marked predatory character, such as lions or tigers.
In any case, we will not participate in or promote a spectacle in which an animal suffers by being removed from its natural habitat, chained up, confined in spaces completely unsuitable for any living being, forced to perform acts contrary to its nature, and having its freedom and dignity violated. Therefore, Diego will not be attending the outing, and we will have to find an alternative activity so as not to upset him, and one that is as consistent as possible with the values we try to instill in him.
Finally, we would like to invite our children's educators to be critical of shows that fail to respect the fundamental rights of independent individuals with their own interests and desires. Neither of these rights, of course, include being buffoons in the ring and leading a life reduced to endless travel and ridiculous acts. Nor does it include the solitude of a wagon and being chained up.
From our family, we appeal to ethical awareness and the practical application of a moral and intellectual exercise that we should continually consider for the benefit of our society: empathy. And, as a logical consequence, a global solidarity that includes all sentient beings, not just humans. School is the other essential sphere, after the family, in which the next generations must be educated, not only in skills and abilities, but also in values that are positive for society and the world in which it is embedded. It is absurd that the values we try to teach at home are not reflected in school.
Finally, we want to convey that we are aware of a very important detail: we understand that this outing was carried out as part of a program and for the children's entertainment, and that the considerations we have outlined were most likely never taken into account. We urge you to consider these considerations from now on and to think about alternatives such as animal-free circuses. There are leisure activities that do not involve the suffering of any living being. They have already been banned in Catalonia, and many municipalities are joining the initiative.
Sincerely.
PD. Por si desean más información, les remitimos one of the many petitions to ban circuses with animals, que nosotros mismos hemos secundado. En este caso para que prohíban los circos con animales en la Comunidad de Madrid.