If you are against all forms of animal exploitation and live day to day by those principles, you have all the right to protest.
Anything less, makes you a big fat hypocrite.
Ah yes, the philosophical basis on which elephants are treated poorly. I'm sure mahouts and clergy carry on being abusive not because they are unhinged, drunk or sadistic—they just understand the pointlessness of the bigger picture therefore do not want to resort to hypocrisy. Good for them.

