WALL OF EXPLOITATION BEGINS TO CRUMBLE

A primary reason our animal-destroying culture persists is that the different forms inherently support each other. Hunters tell tender-hearted meat-eaters, hey, at least I kill my own meat. And "entertainment" animals reinforce the concept that these beings are mere objects to serve us in whatever way we desire. But the unified front is cracking under separate attacks. Hunting has already suffered a right uppercut from CWD concerns, which are only compounded now that CWD-infected deer have escaped from a quarantined farm. And voters in Florida and Oklahoma will decide whether to continue two "traditions," sow crates and cockfighting, respectively, that were untouchable only a few years ago. You want a more visible crack? Here's a director of a major zoo blasting the institution of animal circuses, raising completely valid points about the ignominy of the latter while ignoring the former (and the historic alliance between the two). Meanwhile, in England, the previously lightweight RSPCA has boldly stated that Elephants Should Not Be Kept in Zoos. Ever. And a lawsuit from a parent in San Francisco aims to stop their school from sending schoolkids to a rodeo to watch big he-men abuse terrified calves. Other SF parents are complaining about a "McTeacher's Night," where McDonald's enlists schoolteachers to promote brand awareness and loyalty among their students. Granted, no one of these protests or turnarounds is a major event in itself. But it's a good sign that wall can't stay up forever.