I didn’t want to watch the documentary, The Cove. It wasn’t high on my agenda as ideal background noise as I faffed about on the computer after a long day at work.
But inertia won as I was loathe to get up from the coach to find the remote.
So I finally watched The Cove because I was too knackered to change the channel.
I don’t know how to describe how I am feeling today.
I think I am in a little bit of shock still.
The film was very distressing
Even though I knew the dolphin slaughter was coming I was unprepared for the psychic impact of hearing the dolphins distress.
The sound of dolphins screaming isn’t easy to ignore.
I honestly dont know if I have the energy to focus on dolphins as well as all the other horrible things we do as a species.
We have a long list of awfulness to our names.
The Australian Kangaroo cull comes to mind then there is the factory farming of domestic animals.
We can also own up to the practice of shooting Brumbies from helicopters.
Designer pets and puppy farms. Sharks caught soley for their fins and then thrown back into the sea alive.
Poisoning of our wildlife with the horrific 1080 poison.
The list goes on and on.
But for the moment I am trying not to listen to the echoes of dying dolphins in the back of my psyche.
You can watch the cove on ivew if you missed it.
You can donate to Save Japans Dolphins
Or you can google any of the other appalling things that I have mentioned here and then come back and tell me what you think we can do.
I don’t know what I am going to do as I haven’t had a deep think about it yet.
Our planet is at tipping point. The ocean is in crisis.
Where the fuck do we think our grandchildren are going to live if not here on this dying planet?
We need to find some solutions today people. Not tomorrow.
Otherwise we wont have a tomorrow.
Comments on this entry are closed.
I watched it too and thought that it would be plastered all over the news like the live animal shipments were after 4 corners. I’m still looking on news web sites for comment.
I can’t believe that this is still happening in this day and age. It really shows that humans haven’t really “evolved” that much with this incredible slaughter.
I was upset last night as I too had said that I didn’t want to watch it but was drawn in. I’m still upset today.
Jan
I think my heart is a little bit broken Jan. The dolphins cries were very hard on me. I was surprised that there wasn’t more of an outcry today as well. maybe people have environmental overload? I dont know. Thank you for commenting
Didn’t know it was on but there is no way that I could watch it. Like I said to V, I can’t even watch kids movies that feature trained animals. I am glad that you both posted about it, I want to know but I just can’t watch. Sleep already eludes me most of the time. Thank you for posting it.
x
No worries Ali love to you honey xx
Like Kim, I didn’t particularly want to watch this show as I had a rough idea where it would end up. What I wasn’t banking on was the hard-core violence. Despite being a retired S.R.N of 20-something years, I was nauseated at the scenes that I could sit through. This was soon followed by a full-on anxiety attack.
I just cannot for the life of me work out what makes these SAVAGES operate.
I kill and eat wallabies Bob and I can imagine that people would be quite horrified by that. But we only kill for our own table. We dont kill hundreds of wallabies at a time. Being a carnivore comes with responsibility to make sure that the animals I eat are killed well. I have been banging on about ethical treatment of animals for the past twenty years and I am pleased to see that there is now a groundswell of support for those ideals here in Tasmania and across the world.
I empathise with the Japanese fisherman, they truly believe the dolphins are a pest and that they are doing the right thing. it is a complex and many layered problem.
I totally agree, Kim. Had the show not aired, we wouldn’t have known.
Recently, Billy Connolly echoed your sentiments when he was doing a documentary and one episode was with the Eskimos. They killed their seals & ‘processed’ them the same way as they had been for generations. You could see Connolly was almost vomiting but he gave the old “live & let live” spiel.
Your closing comment is spot-on yet unsettling. It’s when these folks know no better. A not-so-subtle form of brainwashing that happens on grander & more dangerous playing field overshadows with the rights of animal when animals CAN be treated humanely….infact it’s more effort NOT to.
I was reluctant to watch, like you, because I knew it would be horrific & I didn’t feel able to cope with it at this point in time. But I felt that was a cop-out, you can’t just ignore bad things when it suits you. I watched about half as I had to go & nurse babies & tuck kids in. But I thought all the while about what I did see. Especially about childhood trips to Seaworld, watching dolphin shows & having no idea of what a sinister industry we were supporting. I can’t think of what else I can do from here-yet (apart from getting others to watch & be aware, as well as donating).
We do some truly terrible things to our world, don’t we?
I know how you felt as we were on twitter together last night watching The Cove. When the film first came out, Mum had only recently died and I knew I couldnt deal with the film. It had been skating around the periphery of my online life via stop the slaughter tweets and then last night BAM there it was in my loungeroom. I am still not sure what I am going to do. But I will do something.
Yep. All of it.
People asked me *how* I could stand to watch it.
I guess being widowed immunises me a bit …. I know that really horrific stuff can and does happen.
But random horrific stuff is one thing …. DELIBERATE horrific stuff is a whole other hand basket.
Because if it is deliberate, it can be stopped.
Losing Mum has lowered my tolerance for bullshit, timewasters and asshats, so I get what you are saying even as I wish it wasn’t so.
As for the cove, like Veronica said on her post by watching we were bearing witness.
And yes deliberate horrific stuff can be stopped ONLY if the general public, you and I have the knowledge.
The end scene where the young Japanese were watching him with the TV strapped to his front gave me hope.
I have been surrounded by up-close human death since I was 16. First with musos overdosing all around me, then as a State Registered Nurse. It puts an angle on death that can’t be measured by television. Like you, Kim, I don’t tolerate fools gladly and believe it’s due to the aforementioned factors. Life’s too short.
I didn’t watch, I didn’t even know it was on and now this post has made me sad. We’re a very destructive lot aren’t we? Humans in general I mean, not you and certainly not me nor anyone I know personally. I wish “they” would find a better way.
Oh River, I am equally as destructive. I use plastic products, I drive a car. I still have a ream of reflex copy paper here. The list goes on. All I can do River is try to live as ethically as I can but money is tight so compromises have to be made as well.
Oh, goodness. Terrible, terrible. Not in tune with my idea of love at all.
It was pretty intense Kristy. I think I will have to make some red dolphin platters to be auctioned off or something similar. I will make something.
I do what I can. I don’t eat meat, because the only meat available to me is from factory farms (one of which my father owns, which is another story unto itself). I help the dogs and the occasional kitty as I’m able to—unfortunately, they’re just a little bit easier to foster than a dolphin or a research chimp. 😉
I watch documentaries like these to stay aware, as I think knowledge is power. Silence is a dangerous thing.
Silence is a very dangerous thing. As is the deliberate “not looking, not listening” because then we have to look to our lifestyles and make changes that we often don’t want to. After all who wants to give up all our first world luxuries like air conditioning and a car each and mass produced disposable items in order to save a Pacific island from drowning, or the ice caps from melting. After all the water isn’t lapping at our doors. *sigh*
Small things ink puddle, it really only takes each of us to make small changes and the planet will thank us.
how sad…
I agree that it’s surprising more publicity wasn’t given to The Cove. No-one else in my office was aware of it. There are only 10 or so of us, but still. It’s September so the slaughter is happening again now I believe. For me, the most pathetic scene was the badly wounded dolphin’s attempt to escape. As to be expected, the last 20 minutes or so was the visually and aurally harrowing, but it was disturbing from the noise-herding of the dolphins onwards. Of course I will never again support Sea World type performances – I’ve instinctively felt a bit iffy about them anyway and been to only two in my life – and will talk about and encourage people to watch The Cove. I will also make a donation. Thank god for the commitment, knowledge and skill of the activists. By supporting them and making a note to donate once a year, I feel a little less inadequate – but not much. Yes, the final scene did give a glimmer of hope.
It just slipped under the radar it seems. I am like you Jebaru I don’t have the energy or commitment to become an activist but I can quietly try to influence people within my own “sphere of influence” I donated as well. I am going to make some red bowls/platters/something for my entry into the Tas Ceramics group show next month and that will help a little bit. (I hope so anyway)