It’s summer, the kids are home, and — let’s be honest — they’re driving us crazy.
You’ve promised them if they stop whining, fighting, and breaking everything in the house that you’ll find something fun to do this weekend.
A good old-fashioned family Saturday is just what you need right about now – but are you sure the memories you’ve planned to make are “PC”?
For generations, families have spent carefree days at their local zoo, a petting farm, the aquarium, or the circus.
The kids love the excitement of seeing the animals and experiencing something amazing for the first time through their innocent eyes.
These are the moments they will never forget. We know that because these become some of our most cherished memories once stuck in the daily grind of adulting.
You’ve probably blocked out the bad fashion choices of your high school years or how your dad used to start dancing in front of your friends after drinking one of those big cans of Foster’s Lager while standing in the hot sun, manning the grill.
But you don’t forget the first time you realized just how tall a giraffe really is, or seeing a Great White shark in an aquarium (knowing you’re not on the menu), or that booming voice at the circus big-top while humans defy gravity over your head.
These memories are magical for all of us. They’ve been part of our history for many generations.
Our songs and stories, our advertising – our very culture – are deeply rooted in the experiences we have with God’s creatures – creatures we probably only get to see when they are in captivity.
But left-wing organizations – and everyone they’ve managed to brainwash – think you’re a terrible parent if you take your kid to the zoo or the circus.
And they think our parents were horrible for taking us.
Nothing is sacred to them, especially making memories if it violates their agenda.
But there are a few things they’ve neglected to think about.
First, erase history.
So, back to good old days when it was a big deal when the circus came to town. In fact, circus imagery is so ingrained in our culture that Pinterest has thousands of ideas for circus-themed birthday parties for kids.
Heck, back in the day, most of us threatened our parents to join the circus when we didn’t get our way. And they were all too happy to oblige so we’d realize just how good we had it at home.
But now, liberals know everything. They know way more than anyone who has lived through and learned from historic events.
And because they know it all, they don’t want any pesky reminders of our history – and they want everyone to feel bad about it.
Take animal crackers, for instance.
If you’re a liberal and you don’t like something, you scream, whine, and virtue signal all over the place until you get your way.
In 2016, PETA did exactly that when they decided to take a break from throwing paint on women wearing furs and instead rid the world of something far more horrible.
The Barnum’s Animal Crackers box. The poor animals on the 116-year-old packaging were – gasps – portrayed in cages.
PETA petitioned Nabisco and threw a fit by smearing the company all over leftist media.
Nabisco caved by redesigning the iconic image so the animals now roam free on the box. (PETA even “suggested” a new design by sending Nabisco one of their own. Of course they did.)
God forbid kids see a drawing of an animal that doesn’t have “autonomy.”
And then, there’s the circus.
In 2017, Ringling Brothers Circus – aka “The Greatest Show On Earth” – shut down the big top due to the cries of animal rights activists who didn’t think the animals should have to perform against their will. They’d been in business since 1871.
Ok, I knew the elephants didn’t want to be there parading with ladies wearing far too much makeup and far too little clothing riding on their backs.
But it was something my parents did with me, and their parents did with them. It was pretty cool to see.
There’s a reason Ringling Brothers survived for nearly 150 years.
Then, ignore anything positive.
Yes, there is probably some animal cruelty going on in circuses. At the very least, we all realize that animals who are meant to roam the jungles are not happy being in the back of a trailer traveling from town to town.
But liberal activists are just as against zoos and aquariums as they are traveling animal shows.
Good ol’ PETA and other organizations like Direct Action Everywhere have been protesting zoos, aquariums, and wildlife sanctuaries for years.
They don’t just want you to stop using animals for food or clothing (even though this is partly why our Creator designed them) – they want you to stop relishing in their suffering by never visiting a place that holds them in captivity.
PETA even explains on their website that animals in zoos have a condition called “Zoochosis,” which is why they pace around in their enclosures. They’re unhappy, they say. Anxious. Desperate to go home.
Home, where they fight for a few bites of rotten flesh while trying to avoid being eaten themselves.
And in talking about the “horrors” of petting zoos, PETA says that when animals have to interact with people all day, they can easily “snap.” Yeah, those lambs are vicious.
They also mention that these animals may not get enough food or water. Last summer, my kid alone fed the goats and sheep at the petting zoo at least $15 in quarters’ worth of food pellets.
The animals seemed nothing but happy to see chubby little hands giving them unlimited food and positive attention. To these activists, though, these animals are being tortured.
The reality is, many of the species still around today have been brought back from the brink of extinction because of the conservation efforts of zoos and aquariums.
In 2017, even Sea World — the only place you can be splashed by a breathtakingly beautiful Orca without fearing for your life — found themselves caving to the liberal pressure by vowing to end their Orca shows in Florida and Texas by this year.
Jack Hanna, the most recognized animal expert in the world, came to Sea World’s defense.
No one loves animals more than this guy, and he believes that if people don’t see and learn about animals, they won’t help protect them. Afterall, out of sight, out of mind.
Hanna told Good Morning America, “We have to understand something, touch the heart to teach the mind. We have to understand what these whales are. No one can see a whale. If you see a whale, you fall in love with these animals, they’re beautiful.”
The same goes for all the amazing and exotic creatures in the zoo. How are we to protect what we don’t see and understand?
The Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin, understood this completely. It’s why we were fascinated by his interactions with the dangerous and unfamiliar creatures we’ll never see in person.
He brought them to us. He made us care about them and want to save them, even when they could rip our faces off. It’s why Irwin’s death is still mourned to this day.
Conservation departments run by zoos and aquariums all over the world share their knowledge for the benefit of protecting and preserving all species.
They raise money and create programs to protect animals from poaching, loss of habitat (also our fault), and disease in the wild – you know, where they’re supposed to be safe and happy because they’re not in captivity.
But PETA and other lefties think we’re hypocrites for wanting to take our kids to the zoo for the day because we’re causing animals to “suffer.”
What’s next? Banning families from owning pets?
If you’re of a PETA-esque inclination, you probably stopped reading this when I insulted their animal crackers campaign. You’ve already decided never to view an animal in captivity and your diet consists of tofu and kale.
But the rest of us see the big picture – that introducing our children to the beauty of animals will help protect them for our grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
We were given dominion over the animals, not to exploit and harm them as the left-wing orgs like to accuse us of, but to preserve them – and ourselves – so the planet can go on.
It might be fun if we could send these animal activists to another dimension for one day where their dreams of no captive or hunted animals could come true.
“Oh, no! But where are all the organic farms?!!” Sorry, the deer overpopulated the earth because you didn’t want us to eat them and they wiped out all the kale… and avocados.
It’s all about balance, people. It’s about teaching our children to protect these creatures by seeing them in person so they can develop understanding and respect.
So, I’ll be taking my kid to the zoo this summer. Probably the aquarium too. And just to be extra offensive, we’re gonna buy all the hot dogs we can eat while we’re there.
To read more ridiculous liberal contradictions about our “evil” treatment of the planet’s animals, read our Proud American Traveler article on animal tourism.
(h/t Proud American Traveler)