Blog 10 There is a documentary called “The Cove,” that documents the annual gathering of thousands of dolphin very close to Japans coastline. The Japanese herd the dolphin into a cove, net it off, and harvest for the various science, military and entertainment. The remaining dolphin are chopped to bit’s.
The scene is startling in its brutality. The Japanese race around in boats, gaff the bewildered animal’s, drag them aboard and wildly chop, hack and stab the majestic mammal. I would like to tell you that they succumb quickly…they do not. Writhing and screaming in agony as their blood spills into the sea, which is turned crimson by the mass slaying. A truly horrific scene.
A theme throughout the film is why are the Japanese slaughtering the dolphin? The first response is, “It’s cultural.” Fabric of our society, and all that. Then they declare that dolphin is a much needed food source. “We’re starving.” Dolphin meat is actually toxic due to mercury content. In the end the truth is revealed. The reason the Japanese slaughter the dolphin is because the West is demanding that they stop.
Now you’re probably thinking. “Boy, those Japanese are all messed up.” But the reality is that the obstinance we are witnessing in the Japanese is simple human nature. As you sit quietly dissecting our debt you will notice this obstinance show up time and again, but that’s not what I’m after.
The senseless slaughter of dolphin and our debt are the result of actions taken by a minority, while the majority in each society casually sits around watching. (The majority could easily put a stop to the mayhem.) This dumb-shrug response to societal catastrophe is a sin far greater than the act itself. It’s the sin of not trying.