In response to a letter sent to Grand Rapids Candidates for City Commission candidates by the local animal rights group Uniting for Justice, two candidates provided responses to questions. The following were asked:

Would you support a citywide ban on circuses that employ animals - particularly elephants?

No candidates in Ward 1 responded

Shaula Johnston, Ward 2: “I think I would be reluctant to support a complete citywide ban on any and all circuses that employ animals. While I am certainly open to being better informed about the abuse of animals that may occur in some circus shows, I don't know that such abuse is necessarily inevitable in these productions and I believe I can envision a circus that could employ animals humanely. At the same time, I support vigorous enforcement of Michigan's statutes proscribing animal cruelty. If there is any reason to believe that circuses are violating those statutes within this jurisdiction, then I would support much closer monitoring and inspection of their activities, and prosecution of violators to the fullest extent of the law.”

Jim White, Ward 3: Yes.

I would support a citywide ban on circuses that exploit animals, especially elephants. Elephants live in families and roam over long distances. An elephant cannot be content with its aunts, uncles and the freedom to roam. It is cruel to tie an elephant down or force the elephant to perform unnatural tricks just because they are strong and agile.

b. Circuses originated in Roman times as part of gladiatorial games. In the morning, exotic animals would be paraded before the Roman crowd and then slain by gladiators for entertainment. Sometimes more than a hundred animals would be slain in one morning. Later in the morning, criminals (and sometimes Christians) would be placed in the circular arena (i.e. circus) and the lions let out from their underground cages to kill the prisoners. (The lions did double duty as defensive weapons against a city siege.) In the afternoon, slaves (men, and on rare occasions women) would fight to the death. The circus was intended to make the Romans tough enough to be willing to shed blood easily.

c. I don't like zoos. It is not only cruel, it is ridiculous to put a bird in a cage. How does anyone gain an appreciation for any anilmal in a cage? Can you gauge the incredible speed and agility of a cheetah by watching the cheetah walk around in a five foot by five foot cage? We would learn more if zoos had dolls of animals accompanied by film footage showing them in the wild with good narration. I was once walking across a field. A large rabbit (perhaps a jack rabbit) came from behind me and ran pass me at great speed. A moment later, a bird (possibly a hawk) swooped past me after the rabbit. How do you put a jack rabbit in a cage? How do you put a hawk in a cage? That experience taught me more about jack rabbits and hawks than I could gain staring at them in cages.
d. While children need to exercise caution in dealing with animals. An unnatural fear of them leaves children more vulnerable than an intelligent understanding of the animals.

Would you support a bill that would mandate that every schoolchild be free to choose alternatives (of which there are an abundance of excellent choices) to vivisection on animals?

No Candidates from Ward One responded.

Shaula Johnston, Ward 2: This deals with “…proposed State legislation, and therefore might more appropriately be asked of candidates for the Legislature than of candidates for the City Commission. Nevertheless, since the proposed legislation would merely provide ALTERNATIVES to vivisection … it certainly sounds reasonable enough. I have asked my son, Scott, who is about to commence his studies at the Virginia Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine in Blacksburg, Virginia, about Question 2, and he has provided some helpful insights. He confirms, for instance, that computer simulations can be a perfectly suitable substitute for vivisection for purposes of most secondary instruction, while confirming that working with actual animal tissue is necessary at his level.

Jim White, Ward 3: Yes.

a. This should be a “no-brainer”.

b. My experience as a college teacher (I taught urban sociology) tells me that it is more efficient to teach students how to approach the ideal situation so that they master the theory behind the techniques. The reason is that---in the real world--- things are always unique. The practitioner must learn to work from the ideal to the unique and not the other way round. So vivisection begins with the specific and unique animal in the attempt to teach the theory behind the technique. It should be the other way round. Learn the ideal so that when you meet the unique you can tell how and how much it diverges from the ideal.
c. You are right when you say it teaches wrong values. We are doing what the Roman games were intended to do.

Would you support a bill mandating that school children be given the option of a healthy, meat-and-junkfood-free meal in the school cafeterias?

Shaula Johnston, Ward 2: The question deals with “..proposed State legislation, and therefore might more appropriately be asked of candidates for the Legislature than of candidates for the City Commission. Nevertheless, since the proposed legislation would merely provide ALTERNATIVES to … meat and junkfood cafeteria meals, it certainly sounds reasonable enough … And as the mother of three grown children, I can remember discussions about unhealthful cafeteria food in my own family. I am always eager to promote healthier school lunches and I think some improved meals might even be provided at a lower cost than traditional fare.

Jim White, Ward 3: Yes.

a. Another “no-brainer”.

b. Children deserve the option to select vegetables rather than meat. The meat industry will object but so what.