2008 Woodie Awards
UCF better off without circus
Issue date: 4/14/08 Section: Opinions
It's that time of year again. Come spring, UCF plays host to the annual Bahia Shrine Circus. But all is not fun and games.
UCF has hosted the Shrine Circus for a number of years, and every year it draws more protest from animal rights groups claiming the show is riddled with animal cruelty and the Shriners are nothing but frauds.
The Shriners of course claim they are not frauds but are doing a service to the public by providing entertainment and that the money earned from the ticket sales goes to benefit the Shriners Hospitals for Children.
Who is right? Well, let's take a look at some facts.
According to a recent article in the New York Times, an examination by the newspaper of Shrine records and minutes of Shrine meetings and interviews with current and former Shrine officials revealed that more than 57 percent of the $32 million the Shriners raised in 2005 through circuses, bingo games, raffles and a variety of sales went to costs of the fraternity, including keeping liquor cabinets full and offering expense-paid trips to Shrine meetings and other events.
The animal rights activists claim that only 2 percent of the Shriners Hospitals' operating income comes from the money they raise. The Times' investigation confirmed this claim and found that the majority of the money is supplied by the hospitals' $9 billion endowment.
Simply put, the money that people pay to see the circus makes up a very small portion of the hospitals' funds.
And what about the animal cruelty?
Public documents from the United States Department of Agriculture show that the circus has indeed been cited numerous times for animal cruelty, including failure to provide veterinary care and adequate shelter and failure to handle animals in a manner that prevents trauma and harm and ensures public safety.
It seems the temple members may not know the difference between animal cruelty and animal care, either. A story told in a 2004 Future article illustrates this well. The temple's mascot at the time, a camel named Sir Gus Jr., was forced to sit outside the circus all day so passersby could get a photo with him. By late afternoon, Gus was so tired of standing that he lay on the ground on his side with his eyes closed and legs sprawled out. The temple member assured passers-by that Gus was just tired and was taking a nap.
UCF has hosted the Shrine Circus for a number of years, and every year it draws more protest from animal rights groups claiming the show is riddled with animal cruelty and the Shriners are nothing but frauds.
The Shriners of course claim they are not frauds but are doing a service to the public by providing entertainment and that the money earned from the ticket sales goes to benefit the Shriners Hospitals for Children.
Who is right? Well, let's take a look at some facts.
According to a recent article in the New York Times, an examination by the newspaper of Shrine records and minutes of Shrine meetings and interviews with current and former Shrine officials revealed that more than 57 percent of the $32 million the Shriners raised in 2005 through circuses, bingo games, raffles and a variety of sales went to costs of the fraternity, including keeping liquor cabinets full and offering expense-paid trips to Shrine meetings and other events.
The animal rights activists claim that only 2 percent of the Shriners Hospitals' operating income comes from the money they raise. The Times' investigation confirmed this claim and found that the majority of the money is supplied by the hospitals' $9 billion endowment.
Simply put, the money that people pay to see the circus makes up a very small portion of the hospitals' funds.
And what about the animal cruelty?
Public documents from the United States Department of Agriculture show that the circus has indeed been cited numerous times for animal cruelty, including failure to provide veterinary care and adequate shelter and failure to handle animals in a manner that prevents trauma and harm and ensures public safety.
It seems the temple members may not know the difference between animal cruelty and animal care, either. A story told in a 2004 Future article illustrates this well. The temple's mascot at the time, a camel named Sir Gus Jr., was forced to sit outside the circus all day so passersby could get a photo with him. By late afternoon, Gus was so tired of standing that he lay on the ground on his side with his eyes closed and legs sprawled out. The temple member assured passers-by that Gus was just tired and was taking a nap.