I feel like an asshole

In response to my last post, "The Old One". I feel like an asshole for going on that trek and riding an elephant. Obviously I had a blast and I really enjoyed being so close to such a great animal, but in retrospect I am just a jerk tourist who dishes out dollars without asking where did this animal come from (did they capture it from the wild to use for tours?) or how much does this animal work each day? A lot of the elephants used in these package tours are attained using illegal methods, are over worked, and are given amphetamines so that they can work longer. Yuck. I'm disgusted that I was part of that. A part of me knew it was wrong to partake in this tour but I ignored that small voice because the idea of sitting astride a huge elephant was so exciting. I hope that in the future I can be more objective and be the eco-tourist I'd like to call myself. By participating in this trek I was just one of thousands of foreigners that have no regard for the impact their vacation is taking on an animal, a country, or the environment. Shame on me.