Sea Shepherds and Attention Seekers

I saw in the news today that a group of misguided animal rights activists have made another violent assault (The Korean Herald Mar.4/08). In this case, the group Sea Shephards threw acid on board a Japanese whale research vessel, hurting four sailors.

I say "whale research vessel", not because I am unaware that what the Japanese call scientific research differs little from what many of us would term whaling, but because I'm certainly not qualified to make that distinction. Indeed, international groups are currently pressuring Japan to cease their scientific research, as it seems to act more as a cover for whaling, and I agree with that.

What I don't agree with is a group of self-righteous nincompoops implementing their own pirate-style law on the high seas. This was no case of interferance, monitoring, or even sign-waving. It was assault.

My impression of Japan is that, similar to any fishing country in the world, the average fisherman is not well-off and is not a professional outside his particular craft. This scientific research vessel was not staffed by wealthy, exploitative CEOs but by doing-the-dirty-work drudges. The four sailors who were injured doubtfully held any vendetta against the whale population. Nor should they suffer for the company that employs them. More likely they were earning an income to support themselves and famliy. The target of the assault was contextually inacurate, in addition to being illegal.

And if the Sea Shepherds can't even determine who should properly warrant harm, how can they be trusted to determine blame?

This reminds me of an incident in Canada two summers ago. A group of anti-abortionists descended on south-east New Brunswick and then Halifax with a rather lewd way of showing off. In this case, the protesters carried placards with much-bigger-than-life-size images of aborted fetuses along busy streets. Children in cars driving by were forced to look at bloody fetuses. And of course, far be it from the group to admit that any harm or offense could be taken from their untasteful display.

Similarly, one member of the Sea Shepherds claims that video footage shows that no Japanese sailors could have been hurt. Apparently this legitimizes the throwing of acid in the first case. It seems to me that attempted murder carries the same penalty as murder, but I digress.

I do not disagree with the right of activist groups to exist. Far from it. I support unions and, even more so, I support free speech. I trust in the ability of people to make a change in a democratic society. But I do not believe that any group is correct just by virtue of their own self-determined misconception of justice. The world (or parts of it at least) works according to laws that protect both sides of any dispute. One side cannot be condemned guilty because the other side claims they are.

Because someone subscribes to the questionable ideology of a conscience-for-hire NGO, it does not mean that they hold any moral ground over others. It certainly does not mean they are more intelligent. And it in no way indicates that they are the most informed people on a certain subject.

Unfortunately, the opposite is often the case. The Humane Scoeity of the United States, for example, often relies on dogma and display to bolster their reputation. More ears are turned by cries of cruelty and immorality than by simple but well reasoned (and correct) defenses. And thus, year after year, they come out with a predictable and disproven list of greivances against Canadian sealers. Every year, people listen to them without researching the facts.

When people get behind causes without properly interogating them, without acting according to any standard but their own, we get Paul McCartny on a Newfoundland iceflow spouting embarassingly uninformed propoganda and we get marine enthusiasts throwing acid at fishermen.

We also have to give a sigh for those days long past when freedom of speech actually gave the status quo a chance to create and maintain their own particular opinion in a public forum.