Sea World...Beyond the Emotions

The "documentary" Blackfish (which I admit I have not seen, nor will I ever see) has caused a lot of controversy. My view on the film is that it is propaganda, made to play on people's emotions, where people really need to research to get to the truth.

I don't believe that we have any reason to be capturing more orcas out of the wild. They are successfully bred in captivity. There are only 54 orcas in captivity, and from I've heard, only four of those are wild caught animals. That means that 50 orcas were born in captivity.

These orcas are born in an environment where the water is super filtered, kept at a precise temperature and salinity, around humans, in fact, an orca at Sea World has its own team, with trainers, biologists, and veterinarians watching practically every move. They are born in those tanks and don't know what it would be like to be in an unlimitless ocean. They are fed (at least in the United States) the best fish that money can buy, with antibiotics, and they are fed by hand. The know that humans are going to provide their food.

These are also crazy intelligent animals. Their minds need to be kept active, so they are taught tricks. Some of these are so they can be provided with veterinary care, some are for performances that are given. They are interacting with their "pod", which includes humans, much like a dog considers his humans part of his "pack."

Think about it. What is the difference between training animals in a zoo setting, that was born in captivity, and training your dog to perform tricks that aren't "natural" for them? I have worked with animals in the short time I was able to work. I did petsitting and worked for a vet for 4 years. One thing I learned...it is ABSOLUTELY imperative that dogs have stimulation, ESPECIALLY intelligent breeds. Not only will the benefit from training, but also activities such as dog agility training, or herding programs to keep them active in both mind and body. They are happier because of it.

I think the same is true with captive orcas. Think about it...how are you going to teach a marine mammal that weighs some 12,000 pounds to do tricks unless they want too? No, it's not a fact that Sea World withholds food. Sea World is an AZA accredited institution, with very strict standards. They are rewarded for doing the tricks. In fact that is very common when training every animal. It's called positive reinforcement. They DO NOT withhold food. 

The young orcas are brought out with their mothers during performances and are introduced to audiences. They don't separate the mother from her calf even if the mother goes out in the performance arena. In fact, as intelligent as they are, she probably helps in teaching her little baby what to do. They grow up this way, learning new things and receiving positive reinforcements. Who is to say that hearing the applause of people after an orca slams down his or her flukes to soak the people doesn't feel stimulation from hearing the crowd's reaction. There are no studies done to prove that doing these shows are in anyway a detriment to their mental faculties. 

So should they be released? Absolutely not. The precedent was set by Keiko, the orca that played Willy in "Free Willy." He was released into a pod, that he either didn't bond with, or they didn't want him there. He ended up in a bay in Iceland, going up to fishing vessels asking for food and/or interaction with people. This is very dangerous (and why I don't even believe in feeding wild animals AT ALL) because the people on the vessels are, I'm sure, frightened, and the orca doesn't understand that, or that his massive size could capsize or damage their vessels. In the end, they had handlers for him that gave him food and attention. He died from pneumonia, possibly because of a compromised immune system from captivity.

I had someone say that they imagined him happy that he was free when he died. I don't feel that way. He was taken away from everything he ever knew. He was scared, and he went to a place where he could get food given to him and companionship from humans. 

But let's look at releasing realistically, not just Keiko's case.

Wild orcas form family pods and rarely do they allow complete strangers to join them. An introduced captive animal would either be kicked out, leave on its own, or be killed.

And remember what I said earlier? They are born in conditions that can't be replicated in the wild. They are born in super filtered water, the oceans are polluted. The water is set at a certain temperature in captivity, it varies in the ocean. The water is kept at the perfect salinity, salinity in the ocean varies as well. They are fed fish that are already dead from humans. In the wild they would have to hunt for their food, and kill them or eat them alive or whatever.

Captive orcas are isolated. They build up immunity to their environments. They do not build up immunity to all the bacteria, viruses, and pathogens that are in the ocean, or that are passed between orcas. 

And think about what kind of environment the captive orca is exposed too. What do they hear? People cheering, the voices of their care team, the sounds of other orcas around them. 

What would they hear out in the wild, if set free? Not only other orcas, but all other animals, boats, ice breaking off, crashes and bashes. It would be frightening and stressful. A stressed out animal is not a healthy or happy animal.

And this is why sea pens wouldn't work either.

Basically to set them "free" or to stop their performances is to rip them out of an environment that they are used to, have always known, and if stopped, cause them undue stress. If they aren't performing or doing their tricks, then their minds aren't being enriched and stimulated. That could cause more harm than good.

It is a matter of looking at it logically, without your emotions, or imagining how you would feel if you were the orca. You are not the orca.

And now a note on Sea World and other U.S. Aquariums - if they are AZA accredited they are REQUIRED to participate in conservation. I don't know about the other locations, but here in Florida, Sea World is instrumental in taking care of cold shocked sea turtles and manatees during the winter, or caring for marine mammals caught in red tide, a deadly algae bloom that suffocates animals. And Sea World doesn't just have their theme parks, they own other facilities as well. 

I believe that Sea World, and AZA accredited zoos in the U.S. are vital to the conservation of animals. I believe that they are vital to ensuring that the next generation grows up appreciating the animals that they see. And I believe that they are dedicated to the well being and health of every animal that they take care of. I'm not speaking out of my behind here. I have been lucky to talk to people that work or have worked in the industry. I have heard and read about the positive effects of the conservation that the AZA does. 

And to end with my usual snarky opinion here...if you don't believe that animals should be kept at zoos and aquariums, then don't keep them captive in your own homes. If you keep a cat or dog, then you are doing the same thing that zoos do with their animals.

Ciao...

Separation of Church and State and Religion in Schools...

Wow, it's been a long time since I posted anything. Not that I haven't had any subjects to write about, because there have been a lot of things that just drive me up the wall. I guess you can chalk it up to just plain laziness!!

Before I get into my subject, let me first state that I am a Christian, and I believe strongly in God. I have a problem with "organized religion" and going to church because of man's interference in church dogma and the rules that certain denominations have. I believe more importantly in my personal relationship with God.

Okay, now that I got that out of the way, let's start.

If you are interested in history, then I suggest that you focus in on the English reign of the Tudor dynasty (Do not watch the Showtime series "The Tudors", because that is so factually incorrect it's not even funny). Henry VIII became supreme leader of the church when the Catholic Pope wouldn't grant him a divorce from Queen Catherine of Aragon. The reason? She didn't provide him with a son and heir. So he got the English Parliament to grant him the divorce, so he could marry Anne Boleyn. She also only gave the King a daughter, and was beheaded on trumped up charges because of it. The next Queen...Jane Seymour, gave the King a son but died from childbirth. She was probably lucky, because surely if she had lived, something would've bugged Henry and she would've lost her head too. His next wife was Anne of Cleves. He found her repulsive and had the marriage annulled. She was treated as a "royal sister." The next was Catherine Howard, who lost her head over adultery. And the final wife was Catherine Parr, who lived because poor Henry was old and sick and died.

Because he shook up the official religion so badly, many Catholics lost their lives, but on the other hand, the English church was like the Catholic church, without a connection to Rome. Of course, he had Protestant advisers that had his ear. Many monasteries and churches were destroyed and the land added to the King's wealth to do what he pleased with.

But the real persecution didn't begin until the reign of his son, Edward the VI. He was very Protestant. What church property that his father didn't destroy was destroyed under his reign. In fact, Catholicism was outlawed. At the time that he died at the age of 15, he had his very own sister, Mary, a Catholic, under armed guard and forbidden to hold Mass in her own household.

When Mary was made Queen, she declared war against the Protestants, brought England back to Rome, and was known as "Bloody Mary" for all heretics she brought to trial and murdered. Close to 300 were killed in her short reign.

Elizabeth took the throne after Mary's death and made the country Protestant once again, though she expected everyone to go to the Church of England, she wasn't so strict that she had people hung, burned, drawn and quatered for their beliefs.

We should also observe that many European countries went to war with each other over their official state religions. England against France, France against Spain, and then the shameful Christian Crusades that resulted in the mass murder of Jews and Christians in great number.

This is but a small picture of history where people died because of what they believed...even though they ALL believed in a Christian God.

The Founding Fathers believed in Separation of Church and State because of what they saw in their own history of their Mother Country. In fact, the colonies were populated by people who followed a religion in England that was not the Church of England. Quakers, Puritans, Catholics, Presbyterians all moved over here to get away from persecution. Is it any wonder that freedom of religion and separation of church and state were so important to them?

The Founding Fathers also recognized that there couldn't be a "National Religion." What would they have? Christianity? Hey that's great! So...is it going to be Protestant, Catholic, Episcopalian, Baptist, or one of the many other Christian denominations that exist?

I have heard over and over that the country is going downhill because there is no God in the U.S. Government. I don't think that's the problem. The government is run by humans, who, as we all know, are imperfect. And there are also so called Christians in the government who are less than honest, committing fraud, lying, cheating. Need I go on? 

And really, is the country more violent? I believe that violence has been a part of the human race since the beginning of time. What they didn't have that we do is social media. If you read anything about the middle ages, the only worth that a poor person had was to work the land that was owned by gentry. In fact, that has been the fate of the poor since Biblical times. It wasn't until the 1800's that the plight of the poor was even recognized. Violence is the bane of human existence. It has nothing to do with religious beliefs. In fact, there are many violent persons who would consider themselves Christians.

Yes, most of the country considers themselves Christian. However, all other religions are recognized by the First Amendment and their rights cannot be trampled on. If we were to make Christianity a National Religion, that's exactly what we would be doing. 

Here is the exact wording of the First Amendment: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." 

Do you want to give up your freedom of speech? Or how about the freedom of the press? Do you think that we have the right to peacefully protest, and that we also have the right to ask the government to look at what we think is wrong? If you answered "No, I do not want to give up these rights," then guess what? You shouldn't be denying a person his or her religion or asking our government to cram it down their throats.

By the very same token, public schools cannot establish a religion, or have any employees lead any religious prayers or thoughts in the school. Why should we not have prayer in school? Because there are children that attend that are Jewish, Muslim, Pagan, Wiccan, Buddhist, Atheists Christian Scientist, Scientologist, and many other religions that I can't think of. And then again, it comes down to what denominations of Christianity would you choose?

If you want God in your child's school, then send them to a parochial school. Send them to a private school that supports your religion.

Bottom line for me: Children should not be learning their religion from school, but from their families at home and in their family's church. I went to youth group every Wednesday and Sunday School and our Church Service every Sunday. I learned about God through the Wesleyan Church we were active in, and by following the examples the adults in my life provided. It is hard enough to teach a child what they need to survive in this world. Leave religion out of it.

And that does not mean that God is taken out of the schools. Have a quiet time for a child's reflection. I'm always praying and having conversations to God in my head. A school can't control that.

I have also seen memes on Facebook that says the violence in our schools are caused because God isn't in our schools. What??? The tragic shootings at Columbine, Virginia Tech, and Newtown were caused by the shooters. And, it often turned out, the system let the shooters down. 

We need more comprehensive mental health care. There needs to be education about mental health illnesses to take away the stigma of having a mental illness. If a person is diagnosed with cancer, they often have the full support of their friends and family during their treatment. If a person is diagnosed with mental illness, there will always be some people who back away from from them giving the sign of the cross. Or they think the person is faking it. I have bipolar and I have been treated like that. It's a horrible feeling. Police and EMT's especially need to be educated about this.

And there needs to be more comprehensive gun legislation. Please note: I AM NOT ADVOCATING BANNING GUNS! I have friends that have guns, and I have no problem with them having said guns. However, I do think that there needs to be more strict and comprehensive background checks, and I don't really understand why people think that they need military style weapons with high capacity magazines to protect themselves, or to hunt.

I would also like to mention that these shooting just don't happen at schools. Malls, military bases, and movie theaters have also been targeted. 

God needs to be in your heart. He does not belong in our government or our schools. They can put Him in schools and governments, but if He isn't in their hearts, there is nothing. And there will always be shootings, and stabbings, and other forms of violence because God gave us free will.

Put God in your children's hearts. Teach them to talk to God if you want God with them.