Save the Whales? By What Right?

Whale Wars is a reality television show on the cable channel Animal Planet. It follows a ship, the MV Steve Irwin, captained by the co-founder of Greenpeace, Paul Watson, as it tries to deter Japanese whale fishermen. They attempt to prevent harvesting of the large marine animals by throwing stink bombs at them and physically cutting off the whalers from their prey using their ship. My question is, by what right do they do this?

Essentially because these do-gooders don't believe in whale fishing. They further do not recognize that maybe, just maybe, some things aren't wrong merely because they think so, or that any legitimate cultural differences exist which might allow whale fishing even when other peoples may frown upon the practice.

We must be careful with the question of cultural differences, for of themselves they do not legitimize an action either. Whatever else he might have done, Cortez was right to end the Aztec practice of human sacrifice. But I am willing to say that by and large such differences must be respected.

Put it this way: if Americans can stop Japanese whaling, it is fair to ask whether Hindus can stop American cattle slaughter for beef products. Could Jews and Muslims prevent our pork processing? Buddhists could perhaps stop everything. When we start putting our fingers in other pies, where does it end?

It is that attitude, the idea that because I'm certainly right and you're so obviously wrong that I can do most anything to stop you, which has caused more wars and hardship on this globe than most any religious movement or belief. We're all guilty of that to some degree and require an open introspection of our thoughts and actions in order to see things in their proper light. In the meantime, we need to be very careful when judging the actions of others. It may be we rather than they who are all wet.