Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Hey Kids! Let's Kill Flipper!

Concerned scientists and others have launched a campaign to halt Japan's annual "dolphin drive," during which the marine mammals are herded into coves and slaughtered with clubs and knives. The Japanese, of course, argue that this is a proud tradition. An attache at the Japanese embassy in DC went as far as to defend the practice by saying, "It is kind of our cultural activity.... We think it is important."

Yeah, right. Kind of like invading China and killing hundreds of thousands of innocent Chinese women and children just for the pure fun of it.

The scientists argue, however, that an increasing body of evidence suggests that not only are dolphins highly intelligent, but that they are highly self-aware. Recent research even shows that dolphins can recognize themselves in a mirror, something which has only been exhibited by chimpanzees and intelligent humans, as opposed to the one currently living in the White House.

Indeed, I'll take that argument step further and say that dolphins are even smarter than man. For example, I've been looking on Google and have been unable to find a single documented case in which dolphins responded to a shark attack by invading, say, a school of tuna.


0 thoughtful ramblings: