First of all, I want to apologize for my absence to the tens and tens of you who occasionally check out my blog. February is a boring and miserable month where usually nothing that is particularly interesting happens. This year is no exception. Despite my feverent following of black history month, the championship round of curling in the Winter Olympics and several big name acquisitons by the New York Mets- I couldn't think of much to write about-- until today.
As most of you probably know, a trained killer whale decided to murder (that's right, I said it) it's trainer in the middle of a show before a captive audience (including children) at SeaWorld in Orlando Florida this week. But in spite of the tragedy that unfolded, there is something to be learned from this unfortunate incident.
The Whale suspect, Tilikum has been linked to two previous human deaths-- which makes one wonder why SeaWorld would allow a wild 6 ton animal with a propensity for violence against humans to be used at a show in the first place. Perhaps SeaWorld should conduct more stringent whale background checks.
Certified fringe lunatics at outfits like PETA are going to point to this incident as evidence that animals should not be held in capitivity for show, and that the now departed trainer is partially to blame for the whales behavior-- or at the very least should have known better-- after all, the whale was just fighting for it's freedom. These same individuals also believe that the movie "Free Willy" is a documentary and that Avatar is based on a true story. Of course, claiming that the whale in this case was mistreated, or that the trainer had it coming is utter nonsense. I'm sure that the trainer was very kind and humane to Tilikum.
However, I can't help but compare to this incident to the way politicians treat their consitituents-- at least from a basic and fundamental standpoint. We, the people are whales in capivity. Our elected officials are the trainers and puppet masters directing the action. The company/ organization that controls everything is the government-- (SeaWorld). They toss us some fish, we let them pet us and in the end the audience (the media) makes a judgement call on the climate of the country based on how we behave.
We are trained and conditioned via the political process to react to our elected officials in a particular way. Of course when things are going well and we get the halibut or tuna we like, everything is wonderful. Maybe we are willing to endure more stringent training, longer hours, sharing a tank with the squids, or kids throwing empty soda cans into our tank. So, we are supposed to take the bad with the good. I mean--without the government interjecting itself into our lives and feeding us, making sure that our water doesn't get too cold and monitoring our biological capacities so that we can mate suitably-- we might end up starving or overeating, freezing, screwing ourselves to death (or getting whale chlamidia), or never finding Mr. or Mrs. whale of our dreams. So in terms of the best possible outcome for all of whalekind, what we experience is for our own good.
Elections merely change the whale trainer, but we remain in captivity. Now, short of mauling or drowning our trainers, we can make our displeasure known without engaging in violent/ destructive behavior. The audience can discern how we feel and what we want based on our reaction to the trainers and the overall quality of our performance.
I feel that your hardcore liberal wants to be in captivity under the control of the whale trainer. We can sit around doing nothing, eating fish and don't have to worry about our survival. Your hardcore conservative wants no part of the trainer and would rather die on it's own than have a trainer feed us and pick our mate. As I have said many times, most Americans probably fall somewhere in between those two extremes. For one thing, I would want to live on my own and fend for myself-- but rather than have the trainers control us, I would want SeaWorld ( The government) to prevent people from polluting my home, fishing away my food and hunting me.
When the Republicans have the power, they wield their position as whale trainer from a standpoint that in many respects is easier for Americans to swallow. They seem to have a "father knows best" attitude and exercise control over invisible enimies and foreign influences-- National defense, security, crime prevention etc. These are all things that people can't do themselves and that in reality don't want to do themselves. I don't know about you, but I certainly don't want an armed militia patroling the streets of NYC or invading Afghanistan to fight the Taliban. However, when the republicans reach for too much power in these areas, and we the whales buck up-- we are told that we are "biting the hand that protects us".
When the democrats have power, they wield their position as whale trainer from a standpoint that in many respects is very difficult for the public to swallow-- at least from the perspective of the silent majority which is largely comprised of your typical middle class American. The very rich and "educated" whales seem to get it. The indigent whales who are too sickly or stupid to be trained seem to get it because they get free seaweed and scraps from the trainers. The left governs their position as trainer from a "government knows best" attitude and they exert their power over our liviehood and basic necessities-- Taxes, services, what we eat, how we earn a living,where our children go to school, how we take care of ourselves etc. These are all things that people need the government to do, but in strict moderation. Taxes are necessary for basic services such as police, fire, fixing roads-etc. However, taxing the middle class to death in order to prop up corrupt and ineefectual government programs so that the ever expanding beauracracy can maintain its stranglehold over the public ( in the name of helping the less fortunate whales of course) is nothing short of criminal. When (as now) the democrats attempt to grab too much power in these areas and the whales voice their displeasure through grunting at the audience or by refusing to balance herring on it's nose-- we are told that we are "biting the hand that feeds us." ( or that whales are simply not smart enough to think for themselves).
Throughout history and across the globe we have seen the whales revolt against their trainers repeatedly. Most of the time the revolt is temporary and can be calmed by merely switching trainers through elections or by changing the organization that employs the trainers (system of government). However, in several bloody instances the whales have reacted to their trainers the same way Tilikum reacted toward the now deceased Dawn Bancheau.
As the financial meltdown continues and whales across the world become more and more disenchanted with their trainers, the potential for violent backlash is increasingly possible. While I'm sure that PETA would not react favorably to human beings engaging in the violent overthrow of the government (unless it was to save chickens or worms, of the fungi that eminates from sawdust), I am almost positive that the argument they would make on behalf of animals turning against their trainers is that no matter how nice or humane you are to an animal-- an animal will always be an animal and animals are meant to be free.
In my opinion, whales are whales-- and human interference with whales should be kept to a relative minimum. The same is true of human beings and the government. Hopefully as time moves forward, elections will suffice in quieting the discontent of the whales-- I mean people-- ( I forget what we were talking about) and unfortunate incidents like the one that occured in Orlando will be limited to whale/ human interactions as opposed to human/human interactions.
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Nice job George. (BB)
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