Just a little off-target

There are many different ways to protest something, and many different things to protest. Truth be told, if something happens anywhere in this great big world of ours, there's a good chance that someone might be upset by it, and they may decide to protest. And yet, some displays of disapproval simply rank amongst either the most futile, or just the most ridiculous ways to go about driving your point home.

Take, for example, the case of circus animals. For years, people have complained about the treatment of these performing beasts, wanting to see them run free with the portions of their species that don't know the first thing about burning hoops. Cities have taken it upon themselves to decide whether or not someone sticking their head into the mouth of a lion is something they want to be seen within their borders. People have boycotted circuses that rely on elephants standing on their hind legs, a trick learned because of the inability for Shriners to do the same thing.

And yet, in Spokane, WA recently, someone decided that the best way to protest against the Ringling Brothers Circus was to rescue an animal from a cage, leaving PETA fliers in their wake. Of course, they took a pet rabbit from a bunch of preschool children, but that's completely besides the point. What really matters is that a point was made, at that now Sugar Bunny is free to live out his days raiding Farmer Brown's fields.

Let's just gloss over the statements from PETA themselves, who point out that, due to the domestication of rabbits, they would never endorse such an activity (at least, not publicly). Let's completely ignore the children who miss the bunny, because, as young Zion said, "Somebody stoled him". Neither of those are important, because this particular citizen, obviously concerned about animal safety, took it upon himself to make sure that those preschoolers were aware of the harsh treatment of circus animals. After all, we're all well aware that the true holders of the purse strings in today's society are those who are just beginning to get a grasp on "The Cat in the Hat".

Seriously, when you're looking to take a stand on something, take a stand that doesn't make you come across as either a lunatic or a bastard. Protesting the treatment of circus animals is fine, if you feel passionately enough about it. But leave the children and their pet bunny out of it. After all, this would be like stealing matches from a bar because you feel that forest fires have gotten out of hand, or like roller skating to work every day until GDub brings the troops back home. Sure, you may firmly believe that your heart is in the right place, but an act like this is just going to get made fun of.

And we should know.