Call and Response

So I sent out press releases to several newspapers around the state describing the project and asking for people to participate by letting me know their stories.

I hadn't realized that the Projo instantly posted the entire release on its blog site. http://newsblog.projo.com/2009/02/documentary-mak.html But when I suddenly got several emails and comments I was delighted. Googled my name with the word elephants and found the post itself and the public's reaction to it. The first response was from Our tax dollars at work who wrote: The state is in financial chaos, and is this what we are doing with our tax dollars? No wonder we are becoming the laughing stock of America.

Now, I have to say I've been expecting this reaction as the economy tanks and have been waiting to respond to it (no use stirring up the pot unneccessarily). So I now post my reply to that writer and give it to all of you who are interested in and supporting this documentary yourselves.

Here are the reasons that the Humanities Council funded my research.
1)History is important. The Humanities Council was formed and exists to promote and protect our understanding of the humanities, the area of knowledge that allows us to understand the world in a wider context and act on that understanding.
2)All over the nation there are lawsuits re: the proper treatment of exotic animals by zoos, circuses, etc. By studying our own responses to them in the past, we are better able to address such concerns when they come up here in the future. And they do come up every year when the circus comes to town or when the zoo must make decisions about the animals they keep.
3)By learning about our own stories of the past, we strengthen our identity and understanding of ourselves today.

All comments are gratefully appreciated...