December 28th, 2012
Ringling Bros. elephants spend most of their long lives either in chains or on trains, under constant threat of the bullhook, or ankus—the menacing tool used to control elephants. —

Our yearlong investigation rips the big top off how Ringling Bros. treats its elephants. (via motherjones)

argh…
421 notes Source: motherjones #Long Reads#elephants#Ringling Brothers#animals#animal cruelty#news#investigation
August 15th, 2011
"Girls were not allowed to converse except from 6 to 9 p.m. each Friday. They were not allowed contact with their families during their first month, or with anyone else for six months. By that time, Roxy said, most girls are 'broken,' having been told that their families have abandoned them, and that the world outside is a sinful, dangerous place where girls who leave are murdered or raped."

motherjones:

Women isolated from secular society, scarred for life, and beaten for crossing the religious authorities. Kandahar? No, Missouri. And conservatives keep the system running.
990 notes Source: motherjones #news#investigations#christianity#religion#children#christian nightmares#fundamentalism#Long Reads#Politics