Meghan McArdle reports on the Seaworld press conference this afternoon about the killer whale that killed a trainer earlier this week:
When asked by a reporter about the fact that this same whale has apparently killed three other people, he repeatedly makes the irrelevant point that it only killed one other person at Seaworld . . . small comfort to the folks who take their tykes there. He also repeatedly refers to the whale as a valued member of the Seaworld team, which seems to me to be taking animal rights a little far. After all, a valued member of the Seaworld team who kept killing people would open up the company to enormous liability dangers.
I love that line about “a valued member of the Seaworld team who kept killing people would open up the company to enormous liability dangers.” Yes, and, of course, the corpses.
But the interesting thing here is the loss of the old commonsense understanding that required the death of any predator that killed a human being—since we cannot allow them to develop a taste for human flesh. Since we have to teach them, by weeding out the man-killers, that we are not prey. Instead, we’re four people down to this animal, and it’s clearly got the palate well developed.
The ironies here are so manifest that only willfulness explains how they are ignored: The animals have the rights of humans, except when they, like, you know, kill humans. McArdle is right to talk ironically about liability lawsuits. As Wesley Smith would say, a rat is a pig is a dog is a boy, as long as that constrains the boy—and not the rat or the pig or the dog.
February 26th, 2010 | 3:58 pm
What is wrong with you Joseph? This animal is not responsible as a human would be and there is no indication that it has developed “a taste for human flesh”. If someone keeps a 6 ton predator in a swimming pool something is bound to go wrong at some point.
February 26th, 2010 | 8:30 pm
“Valued” as in monetary value(d)
February 27th, 2010 | 12:27 pm
[...] Bottum made the point here the other day, commenting on the tragedy in which a killer whale drowned one of his trainers, that humans have no [...]
February 27th, 2010 | 1:56 pm
That “valued member” comment was inappropriate given the circumstances. An animal with such a history should not be a performer at Sea World. These animals don’t belong in captivity. Reportedly, Tilikum was born in the wild and should return to it.
February 27th, 2010 | 6:11 pm
>>Reportedly, Tilikum was born in the wild and should return to it.>>
Reportedly, they attempted his return to the wild in 1991 when there was a similar incident. Their judgment at that time was that he could not be returned to the wild, as he had lost the skills that would allow him to feed himself.
February 27th, 2010 | 6:28 pm
“But the interesting thing here is the loss of the old commonsense understanding that required the death of any predator that killed a human being—since we cannot allow them to develop a taste for human flesh. Since we have to teach them, by weeding out the man-killers, that we are not prey.”
I think I heard on the news that this whale has already sired many offspring, presumably they are currently in other tanks, eyeing their trainers and licking their chops. Isn’t a little un-natural selection in order here?
February 27th, 2010 | 10:12 pm
[...] Bottom has some parallel thoughts: The ironies here are so manifest that only willfulness explains how they are ignored: The animals [...]
February 28th, 2010 | 5:26 pm
suek,
I think he could figure it out and would. Besides, the Seaworld people could find a way to teach him if they really wanted to. They don’t though because he’s a “valued member of the Seaworld team.” They see the dollars he’s brought in and is expected to continue to bring in.
March 1st, 2010 | 8:34 am
[...] A Valued Member of the Seaworld Team- First Things Not too much wisdom in keeping in captivity a larger killer whale in a small chlorinated pool for our little amusement. But now that Blackstone made a big investment in the company, the show will go on. [...]
March 1st, 2010 | 3:39 pm
Well, good that that whale isn’t in Tennessee. This is what we do to murderous kritters: we hang ‘em.
http://www.blueridgecountry.com/archive/mary-the-elephant.html
March 3rd, 2010 | 10:06 am
I suspect Sea World is going into the blood sports business; Roman circus, anybody?
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