I would not even be a trainer if I had to do that. Here are some questions. I don't mind if they use the elephant for a bulldozer, but not to beat them. Dear Ashley, Hi from Karen and Ashley. We are glad that you have taken such a strong stand for the elephants' well being, but you have to remember that there is another side to this story.
Elephants are massive creatures.
One simply cannot politely tell an elephant to move over and expect it to mind. They have incredibly thick hides, and do not feel things as other animals would. For example, if one were to train a horse, one would use a whip. An elephant could not care less whether or not you whipped it. On the other hand, beatings that would successfully train an elephant would probably kill a horse.