February's media involved stupid commercials. This month I'm going to talk about something a bit more serious. So wipe the grin off your face! Put your thinking cap on. Don your military boots and activist tee!
What I'm about to talk about is pretty intense! And I'm going to need your help!
This month's theme?
ANIMAL ACTIVIST MOVIE!
I'm talking about The Cove! It's a beautiful (gut-wrenching) documentary about the dolphin slaughter taking place in Japan. They kill 23,000 dolphins a year over there. Why? Because only about a dozen of the dolphins they catch are deemed "suitable" for Sea World and other aquariums around the world. The rest are KILLED!
The Japanese don't even eat dolphin meat. So why the needless slaughter? This movie explores the ugly truth the Japanese whaling industry has been hiding for years. The dolphin meat is packaged under "other meats," or is falsely advertised in Japanese food markets. This means, many Japanese people are eating dolphin without even knowing it! If the truth came out, the whaling industry would shut down! But the Japanese make sure the media doesn't hear about it so they can continue with this multi-billion dollar scam!
Which brings me to mercury poisoning. The meat itself is toxic! Mercury can't be cooked out of the meat, so not only are they falsely advertising the meat, they are selling meat that is TOXIC for human consumption!
Due to the pollution in the oceans, mercury levels have been rising all over the globe. The higher up the food chain, the higher the mercury content is in the meat. That means all you sushi-lovers better watch out! If you've been eating a lot of tuna, swordfish, or other fish like that, get yourself checked for mercury poisoning RIGHT AWAY! Mercury is also found in numerous vaccines and medicines. This is not a joke or some lame "hippy hypothesis!" I'm not even going for a scare tactic here!
These are facts.
Now, as a vegetarian, I've known this for a while...but I was unaware to what extent the mercury level has risen over the years! It's quite scary! Mercury poisoning is believed to be one of the causes of the new Autism Epidemic. Thirty years ago, autism was all but unheard of. Now it's everywhere! A 2007 statistic states the rate is 1 out of every 150 children!!! And rising!
Like the tobacco industry, health warnings and anti-mercury legislation won't happen without involvement of everyday people, like you and me. We need to write to congress, picket, organize, and spread the word!
The Cove talks about dolphins, but the dolphins are just the tip of the iceberg of a HUGE problem no one wants to talk about.
We can't tackle global issues like mercury legislation without first dealing with the 23,000 dolphins slaughtered and packaged in Japan! We have to crawl before we can run! So how can you help?
For starters? Check out this websites and visit The Cove's blog! Go see the movie! Spread the word to your friends! People need to KNOW this is an issue!
Secondly? Stop supporting aquariums like Sea World! They feed into the overall problem! Whales and dolphins are sentient beings with the same, if not more, cognitive capabilities and intellect as humans! Sea World is INHUMANE and should not be supported!
Is the recent Sea World Death fiasco ringing any bells? Of course, my sympathies go to the families of the trainers who were killed. The incident is tragic. But the fact remains, the way Sea World captures and train these animals are crueler.
Whales rely on echolocation, meaning, their ears are very sensitive to sound. Throw them in a large stadium with millions of screaming fans everyday, and they go nuts! It stresses them out and agitates them! The rigorous training exhausts these animals AND they don't have enough room to swim or move around freely.
To put it into perspective, what if someone kidnapped you from your family then trapped you in a bathtub for the rest of your life? Then forced you to do tricks and endure deafening screaming and shouting for long periods of the day? Is it any wonder Tilikum went berserk the way he did? He's not the only whale at Sea World who has "flipped" out (as you saw in the video). Sea World will continue to use Tilikum in shows (despite the 3 trainers he's killed) because finding a whale that can be "trained" is extremely difficult (out of 23,000 only a dozen make the cut, remember?). He's worth BILLIONS of dollars, so I don't see them doing anything to keep the trainers more safe in the future.
So let's recap, as I've discussed several points.
1. Save the Dolphins/Whales by tackling "The Coves" of the world.
2. Learn about Mercury and its damaging effects to the brain (autism, Alzheimer's, etc.) Get tested for mercury poisoning if you can!
3. Boycott Sea World (if not for the animals, do it for the SAFETY of the trainers who work there!)
4. Get active, spread the word, and see the movie!
I hope I've inspired you to take action in this month's media of the month. I realize I might've disturbed you by including the graphic footage and news clips, but I only did it to inform you. Not to frighten or upset you.
Until next time, stay tuned for the next media of the month! (I promise to do a lighthearted one next time!)
TK
