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Does writer Chris Shott (Party Animals Watch, “Ethical Animal Snubs Southeast,” 9/6) have mad-cow disease?
PETA wants people south of the Anacostia to avoid the circus just as much as we want people in Dupont to avoid it. But doesn’t it make sense to put EllaPhantzPeril where the most people can see it—that is, in one of the most crowded traffic and pedestrian circles in the city? The point of PETA’s party pachyderm is to remind people that elephants are miserable living in chains, being trucked from one city to the next, and being beaten bloody with that ever-present bull-hook spike to make them perform dumb tricks. They should be trekking across savannas with their families, not stuck in some dark trailer and chained up like bicycles.
For those who haven’t seen Ella (whether you live south of Anacostia or on the Potomac) her inscription lets people know they don’t have to look farther than the Big Top to see shackles, bull hooks, and loneliness. If we had our druthers, we’d place Ellas in every neighborhood on both sides of the Mississippi—but of course we can’t, so we’ll settle for Dupont.
African American Campaign Coordinator
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals