Summary: No More Curtain Calls For Elephants

“No More Curtain Calls for Elephants,” an article published in the Los Angeles Times’ newspaper and composed by its own editorial board, brings the issue of domestic elephant mistreatment to light and declares its support of the Los Angeles City Council’s consideration of a measure that would promote domestic elephant welfare. In writing a story that was most immediately available and applicable to Los Angeles residents, the LA Times’ editorial board hopes to bring more awareness of the problem to the community and simultaneously create a broader base of support for the City Council measure.

The LA Times’ editorial board uses two strategies to appeal to Los Angeles readers. First, the board includes a description of the average weight, age, and health complications that apply to domestic elephants in an effort to appeal to their sense of logic: “For 8,000-to-10,000-pound creatures who spend all day on their feet and can live into their 40s, the consequence of confinement was a painful middle age, marked by arthritis, cracked toenails, and sore feet.” The use of quantifiable characteristics of the animals and evidence of real problems that result from the current state of their treatment makes the issue more substantial for readers. The presentation of data such as …show more content…
They mention and intrinsically agree with an instruction of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to its member facilities to adopt the restriction of keepers sharing space with elephants. By referring to an organization that has more experience with and is more knowledgeable about animals and subsequently agreeing with its propositions, the board validates its position and suggests the reader hold the position as well, or even respect the position at the least. Due to the fact that many LA residents are average, working-class Americans, it is likely they will respect the authority of the Association of Zoos and