Dolphins are part of our world

This is another blog for the natural world, and for creatures that are perhaps some of the most intelligent on this planet. If we do not become a voice for them, I'm afraid they will be silenced forever. And I'm afraid that the future generations will never experience much of what we can still experience today, despite the precariousness of their survival.

Have you seen the documentary "The Cove"? I just watched it tonight and wondered how I missed it in the theatres. In any event, better now than much later. It is about the cruel slaughter of thousands of dolphins in the waters around Japan and it brings me to tears. For human entertainment and ultimately greed, a massacre occurs every September through March of these wonderfully unique and intelligent creatures. Dolphins have been swimming by Japan for centuries and now they are being lured into a cove in a town called Taiji, lured to their deaths in a cruel way. A sheltered cove turns red with the blood of these slaughtered dolphins, whose mercury-filled meat is sold to an unsuspecting public disguised as something else. But those that are slaughtered endure much more than just a cruel death; they endure the fear, desperation, and separation from their pods/families, some of which are captured for dolphin shows around the world. Those dolphins that are not chosen become part of the bloody massacre in a sheltered cove.

I have watched a dolphin show as a kid at Sea World in San Diego but I have not gone to one since as I have always thought it sad that dolphins and orcas in these shows and in captivity have been taken from the vastness of their ocean home and put in basically what is a small pool to them. But now all the more I will never pay to see a dolphin show again. These forms of entertainment fuel the profitability of the actions that go on in Taiji, Japan. And if you think about it, these atrocities to the natural world happen because of us -- all of us who are enthralled into thinking that we want to be direct participants in taming nature and bringing it close. But we neglect to think about the cruelty of this to the natural world, and we neglect to think what impact and consequence it has on our future.

So sign the petition found on this site:

Save Japan Dolphins

And then, spread the word and reconsider dolphin shows and any "swim with the dolphins" programs. Consider instead the wonder of swimming (or surfing as some do with Surfers for Cetaceans) with them in the wild.

Tornado victims in the Southern U.S.

Natural disasters have a way of demolishing things and uprooting lives as we've seen with previous earthquakes and tsunamis. The tornado that hit the southern states in the U.S. was no different....with at least 342 people dead and buildings and towns demolished. And as the people try to pick up the pieces and salvage mementos, the rains are coming in. I pray for those who are trying to figure out how to move forward amidst this tragedy and for those who lost loved ones to this devastating tornado....

See here for more of a story on "Mourning for tornado victims in the South".

Prayers for the Japanese people

By now I'm sure you've seen all the news about the earthquake, tsunami, and possible nuclear catastrophe. What a devastating disaster, and how heartbreaking for so many people who have lost loved ones, lost their homes, and lost their entire communities.... I pray for them and their families, and the nearly 2500 souls that have left us behind in such a tragic way.... I also hope and pray that in the days ahead more survivors are found, and that more survivors are reunited. And I hope and pray that nuclear catastrophe is averted....

International Women's Day (3/8/11)

I've been away from the blogger for a while, and albeit a day late for Women's Day, I'm back to posting (hopefully on a more regular basis this year).

Yesterday was the 100th International Women's Day, a day that started in 1908 on March 8th in Germany. International Women's Day (IWD) has a long history of political and social awareness connotations, thanks to the various struggles in Europe against sexual discrimination in the work and political arena in attempts to achieve equality in a continually industrializing "man's" world. In 1977, March 8th was proclaimed as the UN Day for Women's Rights and International Peace.

Most of us probably don't think about it, particularly if we live in a westernized society, but women still live in difficult conditions all over the world. From the very poor in nations abroad to those very women who live in our communities, women are not always given the value they deserve or treated as they should be. I mean, I've encountered that treatment as a woman myself. It's not as drastic as women who live in extreme poverty or are displaced by war and disaster; those women face horrible situations that make mine look tolerable. But in fact, I think that any act based on the perception that women may be a less powerful, less strong gender, and therefore less significant, should be an outrage. We should treat each other with respect, regardless of gender or anything else for that matter. In order for respect to be garnered, respect should be given. I believe that begins with us as the individual - it is our initiative to begin the cycle of respect and break the cycle of disrespect, discrimination, and violence. And I think this initiative begins with awareness - awareness of the condition of our fellow women around the world, awareness of what they still endure, despite the advent of the 21st century....

I know IWD has passed, but I hope we are able to remember that women are an important part of society and should be treated with the care that we would want bestowed upon our mothers, our sisters, and our daughters...all year long....