The Elephant's Graveyard
June 13, 2004 3:22 PM Subscribe
Goodbye, Norma Jean. Norma the elephant was killed by a stroke of lightning. Seventy years earlier, though, Topsy was electrocuted by Thomas Edison, to "demonstrate" the danger of alternating current. Only a few years later, Mary was sentenced to death by hanging, to the amusement and edification of onlookers. It's rough being an elephant in America.
That Mary article is horrific.
Sung: That's Entertainment!
posted by Busithoth at 4:34 PM on June 13, 2004
Sung: That's Entertainment!
posted by Busithoth at 4:34 PM on June 13, 2004
It's rough being an elephant in America.
True, but it's getting a little bit less so. In a few decades, our children may look at the practice of penning these remarkable creatures with the same disbelief with which we regard that of electrocuting them.
posted by soyjoy at 5:20 PM on June 13, 2004
True, but it's getting a little bit less so. In a few decades, our children may look at the practice of penning these remarkable creatures with the same disbelief with which we regard that of electrocuting them.
posted by soyjoy at 5:20 PM on June 13, 2004
What about Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, GA? They have an elephant buried on campus.
posted by aaaaa at 7:15 PM on June 13, 2004
posted by aaaaa at 7:15 PM on June 13, 2004
Slightly off-topic: frankly, I'm shocked that there are still zoos that have the old-style cages and pens and whatnot. Ever since I visited the Minneapolis-St. Paul zoo twenty years ago, with its vast tracts of natural habitat for the animals to roam within (in some cases, you're lucky to see them—I remember the thrill of seeing, after waiting twenty minutes, the shape of a lion moving throught the grass). I suppose some animals can be happy in relatively small pens and cages, but surely the big animals can't. Having visited a progressive zoo like that one, I'm certainly not opposed to zoos on principle. Just the old-style ones.
posted by Ethereal Bligh at 8:17 PM on June 13, 2004
posted by Ethereal Bligh at 8:17 PM on June 13, 2004
when i went to school up in johnson city, tn last august, we passed by this small town called erwin. my friends spoke of erwin as if i should know about it. they explained, "that's where they hung an elephant."
posted by y0bhgu0d at 10:08 PM on June 13, 2004
posted by y0bhgu0d at 10:08 PM on June 13, 2004
« Older Emotional Labour | The Pentagon—Spying in America Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
People are horrible to animals.
posted by boredomjockey at 3:38 PM on June 13, 2004