NEW TOPIC: Animal Rights

Article: PETA's killer whale 'enslavement' lawsuit goes to court

Written by: the CNN Wire Staff

The notorious organization that has assumed the responsibility for the protection of animal rights, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, and their lawyers are headed to face the animal theme park SeaWorld in federal court. PETA is filing a lawsuit against the theme park giant stating that the park is holding five killer whales in slavery, or involuntary servitude, in violation of the United States' Thirteenth Amendment. PETA says that the 13th Amendment is not only applicable to humans, but animals as well. Their lawsuit states, "Plaintiffs were forcibly taken from their families and natural habitats, are held captive at SeaWorld San Diego and SeaWorld Orlando, denied everything that is natural to them, subjected to artificial insemination or sperm collection to breed performers for defendants' shows, and forced to perform, all for defendants' profit."
In defense SeaWorld has said that the lawsuit is "a baseless publicity stunt by PETA."

The five killer whales that have been placed under solitary confinement in SeaWorld deserve to thrive and flourish in the open, free waters of the ocean. They do not deserve to rot their lives away in stagnant water and be put on display for people to gawk at. If people truly want to enjoy and marvel in their beauty, and appreciate nature's design, they should observe them in their original habitats. However, they are often uneducated and unaware of the effects of captivity on such large, predatory animals.  

Although their hearts are in the right place, I don't believe that PETA's radical lawsuit will accomplish much of anything. I agree that these five killer whales are slaves to the SeaWorld Corporation and should not be confined to tanks like pet fish, but filing a lawsuit against their captors will not improve their lives in anyway, nor will it win back their freedom. It may shed light on and bring awareness to the plight of these animals, but a large, multi-million dollar industry such as SeaWorld will not take PETA's actions seriously. There might be a fuss about it now, but in the long run it will not make a difference. 

Instead, PETA should be making the general public aware of the suffering of the whales. The ignorance that this issue is faced with is unintentional, and it is PETA's responsibility to educate SeaWorld's audience about what is happening behind the theme park's closed doors. 

Even though I have my reservations about PETA's lawsuit against SeaWorld, there is still an inkling of optimism in me that hopes that it might work. 

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