So...today, I watched a documentary called The Cove. For those that aren't familiar with the film, it's about the annual herding and slaughtering of thousands of dolphins in Taiji, Japan.
At the end, I was left with one thought. How can this be possible? I can't wrap my mind around the fact that not only does this happen (YEARLY!!!), but people allow it. People see no problem in it. People actually feel they can justify it happening. It blew my mind.
Anyway...a frequent argument made throughout the film by the people perpetrating such a travesty was that everything they did and how they did it was done "legally". At face value, that seems like a valid excuse. I'm not saying I accept that argument, but...it's an easy thing to hide behind. I can't be in trouble, because what I did isn't illegal.
Note that I say it "isn't illegal" and not that it "isn't wrong", which is my precise point. "Legal" and "Right" are two different things. Just because you're doing something that's legal doesn't automatically mean you're doing something that's right.
I feel like I want to do something, but I don't know what. Like...how do you make a society so set in their ways see that what their doing is so...ugh. I can't even put into a single word what I feel about this. The movie was just so utterly disturbing, on an emotional level. I mean, I've cried during a movie before, but this wasn't normal "sad movie" crying. This was that "hurt to the core" crying. This was the crying that you do, when someone like hurts your soul. This was that crying, when an hour later, you think about it and it just starts all over again.
*sigh*
I need to do something. WE need to do something.
~Missy
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I think the problem with being able to label this as WRONG, is that someone will make the argument about how it's no different than killing a chicken for food.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen this documentary, and from your reaction I know I can't ever watch it because I'm way too sensitive about seeing cute animals die, so I don't know if they're doing this for food or for sport.
If it's for sport then yeah, definitely, you can say it's wrong and many will agree with you. If it's for food it's not so simple.
I'm okay with being a hypocrite so I have no problem saying killing dolphins is WRONG and killing chickens and cows is okay. *shrugs* I don't know...it's a difficult problem. I feel for you.
Yeah. In the film, the Japanese make the argument that Westerners kill cows like they kill dolphins and I kind of see that point, but then it just becomes the cliche "If your friends jump off a bridge, would you?" You can't justify one wrong by saying it's ok cause other people are doing wrong too.
ReplyDeleteAs for sport versus food, the fisherman claim it's for food, but then there's this whole other aspect that they cover involving how high the mercury levels are in dolphin meat and how people shouldn't be eating it anyway.
It's just an all around draining movie.