Friday night's "Real Time With Bill Maher" featured a panel discussion on health care reform. Maher and the guests broke down what the Democrats need...
I have to admit I feel nothing for humans that are killed by animals unless the animal stalks and kills the human. Conservatives always rip on animal lovers.....saying that animal lovers love animals over humans. I say damn right! Animals aren't annoying and evil like many of us of the lower species.
zakwouldhave: I have to admit I feel nothing for humans that
The question is not why did the Orca kill? The question is why don't they kill more frequently? I know if I had been captured and raised like these animals I would be more than a little annoyed. Yes, I know that I am anthropomorphizing here but we have no evidence to the contrary that these animals don't have far more awareness than we give them credit for. It is long past time when all big animals should not be captured and used to "educate" us which is a euphemism for entertaining us so other people can get rich. Where is the animal union?
My father used to say that he didn't care if all the animals on the planet died. "We have pictures of them. Isn't that enough?" How do you respond to the people who think that they have a right to exploit or kill any animal because they can. Today was the first time I've seen any mention of the millions of animals killed annually on the freeways and roads of our country. The sad part of it? It was a Michelin Tire ad! We provide some crossing places and protections for big animals but only because a collision with one of them could result in the death of some humans. But all the small animals are on their own.
TheHandyman: The question is not why did the Orca kill? The
When the public goes to Sea World or similar outlets they become complicitous in the cruelty. It is a sin. By extension, the trainers death is also the responsibility of those who paid to see it.
MrMostly: When the public goes to Sea World or similar outlets
Whale actually,
But agree the point is - whales habitat is the ocean away from forming relationship with humans.
If whales were suppose to interact with humans they would be on land or at pet stores.
I think, what we do to animals to "domesticate" them is cruel
chicagogal11: Whale actually, But agree the point is - whales habitat
Dolphin, actually. The name killer whale is a misnomer; it is a member of the dolphin family and is more properly called an orca.
But I agree with you on the cruelty part. I don't agree with Maher that he killed because he is a Killer Whale. That it is somehow in his nature. I believe he killed because he was kidnapped from his home and family, forced into a tiny tank to perform stupid tricks for the entertainment of humans. If any human had a similar story to tell, would we begrudge them this killing? I think not - we'd call it self-defense, and rightly so.
LittleLadyWolf: Dolphin, actually. The name killer whale is a misnomer; it
And how much time have people spent with them in the ocean vs in captivity? Lets be realistic here. If people spent as much time with these whales in the open water, right up against them, you would have same situations. This was about a person who did something really bad, she dangled a long batch of hair in the big guys face and he took it. She never should have been draping that pony tale around the animals face.
nameunused: And how much time have people spent with them in
That was my point, Nameunused. My point is these wonderful, sentient beings must not be kept in prison. I am writing from the Puget Sound where this individual whale was kidnapped so many years ago. I see the pods from the north come in the spring and see the males greet the females of the resident pods. They slam through the water and sail for a city block through the air. They might as well be in bathtubs as at Sea World.
Tulka2: That was my point, Nameunused. My point is these wonderful,
New Rule, well sadly not new at all, bill stopped being funny or entertaining years ago. Now, like a good mod, block my comments that are not 100% supportive of bill as you always do.
batmanindy: New Rule, well sadly not new at all, bill stopped
Aren't we supposed to pretend that it's such a horrible tragedy which we all care about so deeply that we are offended that Mahr made fun of it?
Oh, that' s right, Mahr is a progressive and operates under "progressive" rules not "Rethug" rules.
Had a conservative comedian done this it would have been published as "conservative mocks whale attack" and they been giving a great bashing and everyone would pretend they were horrified by the conservative comedians insensitivity and so forth.
Me, I liked it. Stop worrying about a killer whale killing. He saw that bit of hair dangling in his face and played with it. Unfortunate it was attached to a person. A person who should have known better.
nameunused: Aren't we supposed to pretend that it's such a horrible
Surprise! This was a wild animal and behaved that way. It reminds me of the guy that went out to live with the bears and is attacked and killed. It might be a good idea respect that wild animals are wild and not out pets.
copestir: Surprise! This was a wild animal and behaved that way.
The poor whale is ruined for returning to a life in the wild.
Killer whales are very intelligent. Do I mean human intelligence, no whale intelligence; they do not have hands and do not manipulate their environment. They have culture such that there are different "tribes" of these fish-eating coastal whales in Pacific Northwest with different dialects. Oceanic killer whales often eat other whales and have a very distinct language as compared to coastal whales. This is all well established by repeated study.
Do we know what they're saying or why these cultures are so distinct; NO. This is part of what makes their study in the wild so interesting.
Should they be kept in tanks, I would say not; but as ambassadors for life in the sea, they do much good. We are breeding whales in captivity, maybe we should focus more money on insuring they're happiness, as I think they deserve it.
I'm a scientist, absolute answers are not in my philosophy.
James_I_Kirkland: Sad story; The poor whale is ruined for returning to
The WARNING Flags should have been up that day......I was at the “Believe” killer whale show just prior to the “Dining with Shamu” event in which Dawn Brancheau was killed some 30 minutes later. The show I was at was stopped for several minutes when the whales became uncooperative and began chasing/attacking each other. The show then ended abruptly when the whales continued to behave abnormally. The show must gon on $!?
JohnBostonMB: The WARNING Flags should have been up that day......I was
The primary problem is that this animal had killed twice before and no one thought it might happen again? I can't believe that Sea World was so desperate for a whale that they had to use one that had already killed. This animal should be destroyed or at least kept away from humans.
Kevin_Bradley: The primary problem is that this animal had killed twice
typical......whjy should the orca be destroyed for doing what orca do? How about returning it to it's rightful environment, the OCEAN, not a bathtub. Idiocy in action, always blame the animal. And, no, in case you're wondering, I don't belong to PETA, nor do I support all they believe in.......:)
grannydee: typical......whjy should the orca be destroyed for doing what orca
Another way I will never die: by killer whale attack. It's called assumption of risk. When you swim with killer whales, expect the animal to live up to that name. Otherwise they would have been dubbed docile whales.
S
Soundofthunder: Another way I will never die: by killer whale attack.
i don't get it
yeah, i guess thats it
wow,
kinda a weak joke
a somewhat obscure carribean pop singer from the 80's
and other than the name pun, no direct relation to this story
the daily show writers are much better at the headline thing
i heard the president of PETA on a radio interview once saying all life was equal
when the interviewer asked what about bacteria, he hemmed and hawed...
then when asked about a cockroach
he said yes,
and answered unequivocally, that a cockroach's life and a human's life were exactly equal in value.
My father used to say that he didn't care if all the animals on the planet died. "We have pictures of them. Isn't that enough?" How do you respond to the people who think that they have a right to exploit or kill any animal because they can. Today was the first time I've seen any mention of the millions of animals killed annually on the freeways and roads of our country. The sad part of it? It was a Michelin Tire ad! We provide some crossing places and protections for big animals but only because a collision with one of them could result in the death of some humans. But all the small animals are on their own.
But agree the point is - whales habitat is the ocean away from forming relationship with humans.
If whales were suppose to interact with humans they would be on land or at pet stores.
I think, what we do to animals to "domesticate" them is cruel
But I agree with you on the cruelty part. I don't agree with Maher that he killed because he is a Killer Whale. That it is somehow in his nature. I believe he killed because he was kidnapped from his home and family, forced into a tiny tank to perform stupid tricks for the entertainment of humans. If any human had a similar story to tell, would we begrudge them this killing? I think not - we'd call it self-defense, and rightly so.
Oh, that' s right, Mahr is a progressive and operates under "progressive" rules not "Rethug" rules.
Had a conservative comedian done this it would have been published as "conservative mocks whale attack" and they been giving a great bashing and everyone would pretend they were horrified by the conservative comedians insensitivity and so forth.
Me, I liked it. Stop worrying about a killer whale killing. He saw that bit of hair dangling in his face and played with it. Unfortunate it was attached to a person. A person who should have known better.
The poor whale is ruined for returning to a life in the wild.
Killer whales are very intelligent. Do I mean human intelligence, no whale intelligence; they do not have hands and do not manipulate their environment. They have culture such that there are different "tribes" of these fish-eating coastal whales in Pacific Northwest with different dialects. Oceanic killer whales often eat other whales and have a very distinct language as compared to coastal whales. This is all well established by repeated study.
Do we know what they're saying or why these cultures are so distinct; NO. This is part of what makes their study in the wild so interesting.
Should they be kept in tanks, I would say not; but as ambassadors for life in the sea, they do much good. We are breeding whales in captivity, maybe we should focus more money on insuring they're happiness, as I think they deserve it.
I'm a scientist, absolute answers are not in my philosophy.
they have to put this killer, killer whale down, period
S