Why Kill Whales?

Here's a letter lifted from todays Winnipeg Free Press, and my response.



Abandon whale hunting

Re: To save the whales, (June 29).

I disagree with the Free Press editorial endorsing the resumption of commercial whaling. Surely we, as human beings, have progressed far enough in our development that we no longer need to exploit every other living creature on our planet as a source of food for ourselves. Why can we not stand back and let the whales live out their natural lives in peace?

The pro-whaling countries that are cited in the editorial, Japan, Iceland and Norway, are all wealthy, first-world nations, whose citizens are in no way lacking for abundant sources of food. They do not require whale meat for their sustenance, as they may have at one time. Leave aside the science of whether there are or are not sustainable populations of whales at this time (the same science that assured us that cod were abundant and could continue to be caught even as their numbers plummeted). Let us as human beings be magnanimous to another species for once, and abandon whale hunting once and for all.

JOSEPH LEVEN
Winnipeg

RESPONSE:

Joseph Leven makes a logical argument for a permanent ban on whale hunting, arguing it is unnecessary to hunt these creatures in a modern context. Unfortunately, economics, and the endevours of man are not typically ruled by what is necessary or logical. Our economy is shaped by myth, materialism, and a desire for ever increasing wealth, often in the face of what seems practical and worthy. Why else would there continue to be heavy subsidies for agricultural products no one wants? Why else would one kill seals for fur when synthetics are demonstrably warmer? Man has not proved magnanimous enough to stop futile destructive practices in the past, though I’m glad that people like Mr. Leven still believe we are capable of doing right.