Comments on: Are whales and dolphins smart enough to get special rights?

By: 11Trader

11Trader — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 06:58:08 +0000

I agree it arrogant for humans to feel so superior that other highly intelligent and social animals such as dolphins and whales can me mercilessly killed.

More about this issue:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article /7778282/dolphin_and_whale_warsthe_figh t_to.html?cat=4

By: KC4animalrights

KC4animalrights — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 18:57:44 +0000

Religion has been dumbing down societies for ages. When are people going to stop looking at bible for all of our answers? The earth is not the center of the universe and man was not created from a rib or simply created in a day. The bible offers good moral stories and christian mythologies — however, it was never meant to be used for scientific purposes. We need to understand that other animals are very special too. Instead of spending billions on finding extra-terrestial life how about we spent money on intelligent life here on earth? Imagine what we could learn from the dolphins. They were once land animals just like us who decided to go back to the ocean. Not a bad idea. We are the only species who foul their own nests and we are ruining the entire planet. If you care about this issue I encourage you to visit – http://www.takepart.com/thecove.

By: suznorwex

suznorwex — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 03:51:48 +0000

Interesting studies always come out of Helsinki! Suzanne
http://www.suzannesnorwex.com/

By: WmCarterElliott

WmCarterElliott — Mon, 24 May 2010 05:50:33 +0000

Cetaceans have *earned* special rights from humans by acts of compassion to humans throughout history. As far back as humans have gotten in trouble at-sea, dolphins have been saving humans’ lives, towing them to shore, protecting them from sharks… Of course they have intelligence and self-awareness, but this is incidental to the issue – They display acts of kindness and heroism to members of our species, yet we have whole industries dedicated to killing them for profit. They aren’t just smart, they’re better than we are in the ways that truly matter, displaying decency as few humans do these days.

By: liquidculture

liquidculture — Sat, 22 May 2010 20:22:11 +0000

Unfortunately the human arrogance that assumes the entire earth and everything on it exists for our exclusive benefit regardless is deeply entrenched and is not based entirely on economics. It is also reinforced culturally not least by many religions, more particularly those that were born in societies where earnings in excess of that needed for comfort developed.

Ultimately it is of course economic in the sense that exploitation provides income but its also about power and keeping that power (and money) in as few hands as possible.

We are but a small part of the greater whole and it shames us all that this question even needs to be asked.

By: bobhey

bobhey — Sat, 22 May 2010 09:14:34 +0000

KGUTI: You’re an idiot

By: KGUTI

KGUTI — Fri, 21 May 2010 16:58:01 +0000

It has been proven that dolphins and whales are highly sentient beings, with complex social structures and family bonds. They are self-aware, they use language –complete with different dialects based on locality and family bonds–and they pass their culture on from one generation to the next.

While all life is sacred, and we should be treading as respectfully and lightly on this ocean-dominated planet as we can, it seems to me that cetaceans in particular merit special consideration.

Our arrogance in thinking that humans are uniquely “intelligent” is a hold-over from the time when all animals were viewed as nothing more than limitless sources of income. This anthropocentrism was the reason why, one by one, whale populations were brought to the brink of extinction by whalers intent on profit. It is also the reason why the Baiji river dolphin has gone extinct in our lifetime as human greed led to insurmountable environmental and acoustic degradation of the their habitat.

Whales and dolphins should not be hunted, and they should not be held captive in tanks that are cruelly small. They deserve far better than what we humans have so far shown them, and we should respect their right to be, and celebrate their uniqueness.