To Circus or not to Circus????

Circuses have a long standing tradition in the United States.  I remember going to the circus as a kid,   Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus circus to be exact.  I remember the clowns, elephants , tigers, acrobats and amazing stunts.

As an parent, I took my now 16 year old to the Circus when he was about 7 years old.    I felt that the Circus was over commercialized.  The classic acts that I remember as child were replaced by more dangerous and might I say a bit scary acts.  I remember watching the motorcycles on the metal globe thinking to myself what an accident would look like to the children watching.

As Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus  is now in town I am torn whether or not to take my kids.   I would like my kids to experience the circus but not when I have explain animal rights and graphic images that the protests show to the people entering the circus. I think that there is great history in the circus industry, but I do not want them to have to be confronted by angry protestors.

I want to have my kids understand thing like that from the past. http://www.circusesandsideshows.com/circuses.html).  Maybe I should just order a movie about the Circus History and watch it with them.