Image Credit: “JumpingOrca” by Mlewan, via Wikimedia
It’s amazing that good people can be so easily misled by cheap lies and emotionally driven narrative. Such as it is with the movie, “Blackfish”. When it comes to the SeaWorld orca debate, Americans need to remember the principles this country was founded on and let the facts speak for themselves.
At least, that’s the stance taken by U-T San Diego, formerly the San Diego Union-Tribune and the largest daily newspaper in the region. U-T San Diego published an editorial this week discussing the Blackfish debacle and the roll it’s taking on our legal system. And instead of just re-blogging their article, we wanted to recap it for you in Awesome Ocean fashion.
In light of last week’s announcement that Southwest would be ending the 26-year marketing partnership with SeaWorld, animal rights activists have been taking to Twitter in celebration. While both companies blamed “shifting priorities” for the split, the opportune timing of the announcement makes that reason a little hard to believe.
But we digress.
The U-T San Diego Editorial Board’s article further examines other factors in the debate, claiming up until this point the government seems to be forgetting its primary role in regards to the SeaWorld orca debate, which is to be neutral after basic animal welfare has been assured.
Surprise, surprise. Regulators say basic animal welfare has been confirmed at SeaWorld for decades.
Followers of developments in Blackfish bills remember that in March, Richard Bloom (California Assemblyman, D-Santa Monica) brought a bill to the Assembly to ban orca shows and captive breeding programs.
Bloom made it abundantly clear he was inspired by “Blackfish”, an advocacy film with “little pretense of objective truth-seeking”. Clearly Assemblyman Bloom did not pay attention to the veterinarians and trainers who dispute the film’s claims, like the former SeaWorld trainer featured in this article.
Fortunately, Congress is not following Bloom’s lead. Two House Democrats garnered unanimous support to spend $1 million for the federal Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to study the effects of captivity on marine mammals, specifically orcas.
We completely agree with U-T San Diego’s Editorial Board when they say, “Fresh fact-finding could be good for everybody. We expect the inquiry to be guided by legitimate, peer-reviewed science.”
And we hope the truth comes to an indisputable light soon.