Shooting whale in a barrel
My defense of dining on whale, also posted elsewhere, gave rise to this e-mail from an American save-the-whales’er:
elizabeth
Now, I did find this is a little rude, so I fired back (quote in bold):
And if you want to discuss my post, why don’t you do so in public?
I mean, really, do you have to eat whale? I suppose the consciousness of the animal never occurred to you?
Since I address these questions at length in the diary entry, it would appear you haven’t read it through. How, then, can I take you seriously?
Response:
I’m not signed up for your forum, so I can’t answer in public, although I would have been glad to do so. You’re right, I didn’t read through the entire diary, though I will now. I find it next to impossible though, to justify the eating of whale, no matter how nutricious. And, by posting of your feast in public, you will encourage others to do so as well. I’m not sure what is behind all of this. It is difficult for me to fathom the desire to eat of such an intelligent, endangered animal. Frankly, it isn’t my concern that you take me seriously. I hope though, that you received info from others that might encourage you to reconsider. The whale is an endangered species. Yes, I know you ate one of the types that is not endangered. In my view, this personal advertisement of your meal will not aid efforts to protect the species as a whole. That is my view. There are many ways to obtain the nutrition through other types of food and suplements. Seaweed is an excellent source of all that is needed from the ocean. Please reconsider…
elizabeth
I replied:
The whale is an endangered species.
There is no species called ‘whale’ - as noted in the post, there are about 80 known species, ranging from the harbor porpoise to the blue whale.
It is difficult for me to fathom the desire to eat of such an intelligent, endangered animal.
Again, I explicitly discussed the intelligence issue in the article. There is no scientific evidence to date that the minke whale is more intelligent than cattle, let alone pigs. And you admit that it isn’t endangered:
Yes, I know you ate one of the types that is not endangered.
So what exactly is your problem?
And, by posting of your feast in public, you will encourage others to do so as well.
There is no whale meat to be bought outside of Norway, Japan, and Iceland. But even if there were, why would I worry if others too ate meat from non-threatened stocks of minke whale?
In my view, this personal advertisement of your meal will not aid efforts to protect the species as a whole.
True; but I have no intention to aid such efforts, if by ‘protect the species as a whole’ you mean banning even sustainable harvest of non-threatened populations. That was my point.
There are many ways to obtain the nutrition through other types of food and suplements. Seaweed is an excellent source of all that is needed from the ocean.
Sorry, but I was after the taste, not the nutrition, and the taste of seaweed just doesn’t cut it…
This retort, it seems, exasperated my correspondent:
Have a good life.
elizabeth
Why, thanks! My parting words:
Have a good life, too.
Yet she just might have a point about my personality. If this (rather crude) blogger personality test is to be believed, I am the INTP (Introverted iNtuitive Thinking Perceiving) type:
Well then; I guess it’s in my nature to choose the whale steak over the seaweed. Sorry, Liz.
