"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." - Martin Luther King, Jr.The long-time game show host for the Price is Right Bob Barker has set his sights on something that has long drawn the ire of both animal rights activists and regular tourists alike for years, the bear displays in Cherokee. Principal Chief Michell Hicks has been targeted for a letter writing and email campaign, much to his chagrin.
While there are many aspects of tourism in Cherokee that have left me with a sour stomach, the bear displays have been one of them.
I'm not opposed to displays of bears per se, but I do think they need the best living conditions they can be given, and I'm turned off by what I've seen at least at two of the bear zoos.
I do have to express irritation at one aspect of this whole issue. Alleged mistreatment of bears has gained all kinds of media attention, but losing $60 million of the tribal youth's money, violations of civil rights and elected officials disregarding the need for financial stability to pad the chief and vice chiefs' retirement plans has barely registered on the mainstream media's radar.
More power to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and Bob Barker. Their efforts to shake up an irresponsible government over a perceived injustice to non humans have been much more successful than those at home who've sought to hold their elected representatives accountable for injustices against humans and even draw attention to those injustices.
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