Mom Ruins Field Trip Because She Loves Dolphins More Than Fun

One mom felt so strongly about the welfare of animals in captivity at Marineland in Niagara Falls that she managed to get her son’s class trip cancelled. I think her convictions are important and probably right – but I’m not sure she should be deciding how comfortable all the parents are with this issue for them.

Jennifer Jamieson convinced her 9-year-old sons elementary school not to go ahead with a planned field trip and she’s hoping to convince the public school board to follow suit and completely ban trips to the park:

”This is not some hippie bandwagon stunt. I am a mother [who is] truly concerned for and dedicated towards the welfare of animals,” Jamieson told CBC Hamilton. ”I want my children to live a compassionate lifestyle and for society to stop viewing captivity as just another social norm.

I respect that. I totally respect her right to keep her child home from that trip. But to cancel the trip all together? No. I don’t think she has the right to end a trip for kids who are not hers.

The self-proclaimed ”animal liberation activist” said she was ”delighted” when her son’s teacher responded saying she had decided to scrap the outing and find an alternative. Planning was in its early stages and hadn’t been announced to students in the class, Mountain View principal Jenny Seto-Vanderlip told CBC Hamilton.

Instead of Marineland, students will be going to the Royal Botanical Gardens.

Oh, great. What would your nine-year-old rather see – a bunch of flowers or a dolphin? I think we all know the answer to that. At least the kids didn’t know about the trip to begin with; it was in the early stages of planning. I’m sure they are all just as happy to walk around some exquisitely manicured lawns as they would be to ogle sea lions and see a zillion different species of fish.

(photo: Pannochka/ Shutterstock)