Circuses should provide entertainment; they should also be a fun and safe place for families to enjoy a show. Animals are beautiful creatures, and they are truly fascinating to me and many others. However, I believe that just as there are specific animals that should be trained, there are animals that should not. For example, dogs have been bred hundreds of years to be loyal, and to serve their master, while tigers and lions have not. Although I believe that some animals should be trained, this topic does force me to question my beliefs about the food chain. Are humans are on the top of the food chain, if animals can easily overpower us, and if we believe that they should not be trained? While I do not have any experience with the same animals that perform in the circus, I have been working with a veterinarian for over a year. However, I do work with large dogs, horses, donkeys, and more. Though I have only been to the circus one time, I have worked enough with animals to know that they are tamable, but not completely controllable. 

"Ringling Bros. Elephants Are Taking Early Retirement to Florida" is an article published by the New York Times. It states that the Ringling Brothers plan to phase out the elephant performances for economic purposes. The elephants will retire in Florida at a cancer research center. The article presents elephant performances, and is even sympathetic towards the fact that they will not continue performing. While the work is sympathetic, it also supports the notion for elephants to retire. The author works for the New York Times, and gathers information from both a Feld Entertainment spokesman, and the president of PETA to increase the works credibility. The author does a good job of displaying little bias throughout the use of these two sources.

 Unlike the New York Times piece, "Circuses: Three Rings of Abuse", does not want elephants to perform. It is an article that describes the ways in which circuses abuse their animals. This includes forcing the animals to: travel long distances in minuscule cages, perform in bizarre shows, and endure beatings. The article was published by PETA, which is an organization of the people for ethical treatment of animals. Nevertheless, the work's main values and interests are to encourage healthy treatment of animals. Since this article is published by PETA, it already has a positive ethos. This credibility is strengthened by the amount of sources listed throughout the piece. 

Circus Incidents Attacks, Abuse, and Property Damage, proves a point which is stated in the article published by PETA, this point is that animals will often react to their surroundings by rebelling. This insurgence can often lead to endangerment, the work includes a list of circus animal incidents from 1970 to 2004. The list includes reports about abuse, and attacks on people and trainers. It displays just how unpredictable animals are, and shows that nothing can keep animals from attacking people. This work is completely informative, however, the main interest throughout the piece is circus animal incidents. The source is published and revised by the Humane Society of the United States, the main value is to keep both people and animals safe. The author is a reliable source, however, this ethos is strengthened through the coverage which is listed below each accident. 

This research question is arguable because many people disagree about how exactly animals should be treated. Some believe that humans are made to be at the top of the food chain, and can therefore, treat animals in any manner they choose. However, others believe that although humans are at the top of the food chain, animals are still powerful creatures, and they should be treated with respect. Others might also argue that the animals have grown to love their trainers, and that the trainer also is passionate about the animal. The sources strengthen my belief that animals should be treated with respect. All the works prove different points about how and why animal performances are unacceptable. I might need to revise my research question by making it more specific, I can talk about a specific circus, including the Ringling Brothers, or I could focus upon a specific animal. 

