Ken Feld's Line in The Sand

Suite101.com ^ | June 25, 2002 | Brian Tubbs

[weekendwarrior]

http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/politics_conservative/92761

Ken Feld's Line in The Sand

Author: Brian Tubbs, Senior Policy Analyst, National Legal and Policy Center Published on: June 25, 2002

The most popular legend in American history stems from the gallant sacrifice made by roughly 180 besieged fighters at an old Spanish mission in San Antonio, Texas. These fighters included ex-U.S. Congressman and frontier hero Davy Crockett and the legendary Jim Bowie. According to popular history, when informed that reinforcements would not be coming, Colonel William Barrett Travis, the Alamo's commander, called for an assembly in the main courtyard. Standing before his men, Travis told them the grim news and explained that their stand against Santa Anna's army would likely be a fight to the death. He then lifted his saber and drew a line in the sand directly in front of his men. He asked those that wished to remain with him to step across the line. The others could depart in peace. All but one crossed. While some historians discount the Travis story as myth, there can be no doubt concerning the line drawn by Kenneth Feld, chairman and CEO of Feld Entertainment, the multi-million dollar corporate giant that brings wonder and excitement to kids and grown-ups alike year after year. Feld's line in the sand wasn't drawn with a saber, but rather with a letter.

You may not recognize the name of Ken Feld right away, but you are surely familiar with his company's leading attractions: Ringling Brothers' & Barnum and Bailey's "Greatest Show on Earth," Disney's "World on Ice," and Siegfreid & Roy's Las Vegas magic show. Millions flock to see Feld's hugely popular circus production each year, driving one particular activist group to despair and some might say desperation.

[weekendwarrior]

It's good to see someone fighting back for a change.

[elephantlips]

Forgive my ignorance but what was his "letter?" What are we talking about here?

[dsutah]

To make a long story short, he took PETA to task for the way they've been attacking him over the training of animals. One of his animal trainers was taken to court over the possibility he may have caused an injury on an elephant, during a show. The trainer was aquitted, but Ken Feld had enough of PETA, and decided to fight back.

[dsutah]

To make a long story short, he took PETA to task for the way they've been attacking him over the training of animals. One of his animal trainers was taken to court over the possibility he may have caused an injury on an elephant, during a show. The trainer was aquitted, but Ken Feld had enough of PETA, and decided to fight back.

[geolab]

I was quite alarmed by the message Brian Tubbs left on this notice board, it just shows how insensitive and unenlightened a Senior Policy Analyst for the National Legal and Policy Centre can be.

He quotes from the Alamo, mentioning Travis and his line in the sand, probably to get more hits, certainly the principals of the Alamo have nothing to do with Ken Feld's exploitation of animals. I have read (Rose's account) that the line was drawn in front of the gate and Travis was basically saying, those that cross are cowards.

I am English and now live in Spain. Here there is bull fighting, it is a multimillion euro industry. The younger generation know it's cruel but no-one dares say anything against it - it is part of the culture. Do you think that spearing the back of a bull to make it angry is ok because it brings in the dollars? Well, finally the Council of Barcelona has declared by a narrow majority that they are against bullfighting - hoorah.... perhaps in another 30 years it will stop.

In England we have a fox hunting issue, the majority of the population has been against it for years, but a very small minority of wanabe aristocracy have managed to twist the arm of our government to stall the ban that has been democratically voted for in our Parliament.

Surely there is no doubt that breeding foxes to be chased by hounds and eventually being ripped apart by them is not what sensible and civilised people would call entertainment?

Circuses that use animals have died out in Britain. This was not due to legal intervention or government sanction, just an overwhelming realisation that these animals should not be driven about in cages and used for entertainment. People stopped taking their children.

The American people seem to emotionally backward if the majority still believe that animals should be trained to do tricks for their children?s entertainment. Perhaps if they were shown how the trainers accomplished these tricks (as we have seen in hidden video clips) you Americans (land of the free and all that) would stop going to circuses.

Us Brits were always ahead of you when it came to freedom anyway, Abolition of the Slave Trade in 1807 and the Slavery Abolition Act in 1833. You had to have a war, and even then the blacks were treated as slaves and second class citizens in the U.S. until recently. Perhaps it will take you another 30 years to realise that animals should be in their habitat, and if that habitat no longer exists then that is the way of the planet - extinction, better than being cooped up in a cage for our exploitation.

Of course, these zoos and circuses always bring in the conservation issue. If you believe that training animals to perform in a circus is in any way connected with conservation, you need your heads testing.

And for those of you who say "but my kids have never seen a lion" then I suggest you also get some aborigines and pygmies in a cage so that your brats can see them too!!

Come on Yanks - get real, smell the coffee etc....