I’m taking the kids to the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus this weekend in Bridgeport, which brings back memories of the time I nearly slugged an animal rights protester.
It was years ago, when my 7-year-old daughter was just a toddler and going to her first circus. I wasn’t expecting an aggressive woman to rush up to us and start shouting. I’m sorry to say, my reaction to say quietly “get the %&$% out of my face.” I immediately turned away and went into the arena, ashamed of my immature words.
So here we go again. The publicity-craving protesters will be out in force this weekend with their bullhorns and gruesome signs. Thankfully, they will be behind barricades. When they yell at my family, will they know my two daughters have never eaten a bite of meat in their lives? Will they know my wife has been a vegetarian for more than 20 years?
I expect that in a few years, my older daughter will object to circuses that feature animals. But until that time, I want her to enjoy the show. I don’t want someone confusing and scaring her about issues she is not yet able to fully understand.
Many activists are challenging the barricades rule. Here’s what one told the Connecticut Post: “We form a long line because people have to go through security. That way, we can have a meaningful exchange of ideas. People ask questions and children ask why we are sad. We say it’s because of the way animals are treated. You can’t have a meaningful conversation 50 to 100 feet away.”
I don’t want this guy to have any exchange with my kids, meaningful or otherwise.
Stay behind your barricade, or better yet, stick to the animal testing labs or slaughterhouses. How do I know these extremists aren’t capable of violence? It’s enough to make anyone swear.