Dear People of the World (formerly Dear Americans)

I rented a DVD of the film which contains Japanese subtitles and censored faces for the release in Japan. The film won US film Academy Award for documentary. It is about dolphin loving westerners trying to save dolphins in the cove in Taiji town in Wakayama Prefecture in Japan.

This documentary is interesting one in the sense that anyone can learn that documentary shouldn't be produced in neutral stance, in other words it can be propaganda or be very biased.

To me, it was like brain training material. The film is based on the producers' emotional matters. The story is mainly narrated by Rick O'berry, a former dolphin trainer for the famous TV show "Flipper." He felt guilty of using dolphins for entertainment. Since then he started activity to protect dolphins. He even had broken the law to do that. In this film he trespassed to capture dolphin hunting scenes.

I list up things agreeable and disagreeable matters in the film.

• Dolphins shouldn't be used for aquarium shows because they are put in stressful situation. 

Agree, in that sense we should treat them better. Maybe animals shouldn't be used as toys or entertainment like bull fighting in Spain or Rodeo in US.

• Dolphins are as intelligent as human, so they shouldn't be killed and eaten.

Disagree. What is definition of "intelligence" they mean? Does that mean not intelligent creatures should be killed and eaten?  

• Dolphin hunting is not Japanese culture but only local matter in the town. Most Japanese do not eat dolphin or whale meat. Cultural aspect can not be a reason for justifying dolphin hunting.

Disagree. Although dolphin hunting is only local culture in the town, it is their culture anyway. No foreigner or Japanese outside the town can interfere their activity. What they eat is their business. As long as the specie is not endangered, anyone can eat anything except human on the earth. I do not care Koreans eating dog meat though I don't and I think dogs are as intelligent as human.

The film featured some facts Japanese merely pay attention as follows.

1. If people continue to fish in the oceans at current speed, the marine resource will all disappear in 40 years. Japan is the world's largest consumer of seafood.
2. If you are arrested by the police, the police can detain you for 135 days until indictment is decided. If indicted, you are convicted at rate of 90%.
3. Japan pays so much money to small nations to gain pro-whaling votes in IWC. Japan's intention is not economic one but very political, which is protesting western imperialism.
4. IWC delegate from Japan says whaling is one way of pest control because they are eating smaller fish.
5. Dolphins and whale meats sometimes contain very highly concentrated mercury inside and those are provided to school lunches for children. (Now we should be worried about radioactives.)

One thing I wondered was why Taiji town did not permit the documentary crews to videotape their hunting of dolphins, not letting them do that illegally. That way they can solve the problem. It is bloody and brutal but what is the problem? That is what humans do for survival. We do that to cows, pigs, birds and even to fruits and vegetables. Plants are living creatures. Even vegetarians cannot avoid such sin for survival.

Let's be logical, rational and realistic rather than emotional racist, imperialist or idiotic idealist.   

American dolphin trainer named Ric O'Barry is taking on Japan's traditional culture.

He loves dolphins so he doesn't like Japanese dolphin hunting in Taiji, Wakayama Prefecture.

He came to the town and shoot the scenes of hunting and made documentary film.

Here comes again after whaling in Antarctica. This time within Japan's territory. It seems he and his friends think Japan is part of US territory.

I don't eat dolphin meat. But the localies hunt and eat them for centuries. That is their culture and tradition. Japanese government provides the license to them. It doesn't matter whether their hunting method is cruel or not. We, human eat animal meat in order to survive. You can see as graphic scenes as that in beef processing factories.

Well, I believe such protestants are small portion of all. When I was in the U.S., Americans I met said they don't care about cultural thing. Unless the species is endangered, they don't care who eats what. I think that is the ordinary people's response.

I was against Japan's whaling in Antarctica because it is not worth it. There is not high demand any more and it hurts Australia's tourist business. I never agree with Aussie's idea that whales are cute and intelligent mammals so we shouldn't kill. It can mean you can kill less intelligent animals? Sounds racist.

Is it white Christian ideology that once you believe one thing is good, force others to follow?

Interesting thing is in 19th century westerners came to Japan and Southern Pacific islands and criticized local gay culture as "uncivilized" from their standard. Then the gay culture declined.

Now what are westerners doing about gay issues now?

 

If Mr. O'Barry really cares about Japan's cute mammals lives being threatened, he should go to Nago city, Okinawa. There are many mammals that are threatened by construction of US Marine base. He doesn't even have to visit Japan, he can go to Washington first. Actually WWF sued US Defense department for that matter. He should forget the dolphins but saves dugongs. Or he wouldn't because dugongs don't do the tricks he teaches?  

WWF-Japan leader calls for dugong research by halting USMC training exercises

 

Dear Dave: I don't buy US goods, either lately. Whaling in Antarctica or dolphin hunting in Taiji are not illegal. Internationally and domestically. Americans are exporting beef with mad cow disease to the world. They let cows eat bones of dead cows, that cause mad cow disease.

 

I haven't seen the movie. I want to see the movie anyway. Documentary can be biased.  

I rented a TV drama series DVD "Flipper" this week. What I rented is not original 1960's series, it was 1995 version of it.

In 1960's version, one park warden and his two sons, Sandy and Keith and a dolphin, Flipper were the main characters. In 1995 version, the main character was grown-up Keith, who became a marine biologist and managed a university's research facility. Keith was acted by Brian Wimmer. Jessica Alba was among the cast.

 

The stories were messy and unrealistic. That is basically kids' show, but the good things for all viewers were the beautiful scenaries and cute dolphins. 

I guess Brian Wimmer may be one of major attractions of the drama. In every episode, his half naked body appeared, and in the very first episode, he totally became naked and swam in the dolphins' pool. Targeted viewers may include adult women and gay men.

 

 I've been to Florida a long time ago when I was a college student in U.S. I went there on spring vacation. My brother came over from Japan. We stayed in Miami, and visited Key West. I ate crabs in Miami. I visited Hemingway's house and scuba-dove in the Key West ocean. Unfortunately I could not meet any dolphin. The below photo was taken at Southernmost point symbol with my brother in the Key West.

Florida was fun place to visit. I love tropical oceans and beach. When I become an elderly person, I will live in the tropical place like Florida, or Hawaii.