ANIMALS ARE PEOPLE TOO

Space for physical or “psycheogeographical” disruption, creativity, resistance or solidarity could take place within a zoological park or individuals acting in conjunction with the movements of a traveling circus. These kinds of attractions put animals on display far removed from their natural habitat, and treat these creatures more as attractions than living beings. This understanding of human-animal relations is extremely inhumane, is physically and mentally demeaning to the animal, and leads to the reorganization of animals as objects, goods to be commoditized and exploited as the “owner” sees fit. From this viewpoint then, one should understand that the animals on display in zoos and forced to act in circuses are in essence prisoners and itemized products.

In order to disrupt this destructive course of reasoning, the activist must reorient the common man’s understanding of these public spaces and shows towards his or her way of thinking. This disruption could take the form of some kind of performance art on par with the actions of the Diggers of San Francisco, asking the viewing public to become actors themselves in the scenario. If one is going to involve any kind of being against their will in a lifetime of servitude through entertainment we must consider fully how their captivity and forced actions will affect them. When these animals are held captive in tiny spaces and removed from their natural habitat and social structures it is easy to see how, like humans, they can rapidly physically and mentally deteriorate. Personally, that is why I feel I have always felt a deep sense of sadness I felt for the animals in the zoo whenever I went; even as a child I knew these animals were living a foreign and likely frightening existence in the little plastic shell humans had created for them. Maybe not on that level at that time, but I do understand the realities of the situation much more readily now.

The specific disruption of this kind of unnatural and immoral imprisonment and exploitation of living beings would then therefore be focused mainly on reorienting other people’s understanding of human-animal relations. The longest lasting change that these groups can strive for falls under concrete change to legislation that allows the inhumane treatment of animals and disregard for human life to take place. There are groups like PETA that are working towards these ends, however I personally see their tactics as being a bit too radical and off-putting to garner any real, substantial change from the masses. I believe that in order for concerned people to facilitate actual change they must help others empathize with the plight of the animals in their lives, forced into prison-like isolation and bondage for a few passing moments of human entertainment.