hakapik
Kathleen Parker received a hakapik in the mail from PETA and wrote about it:
It is probably reasonable to assume that I’m the only person on my block to be the un-proud possessor of the aptly named bludgeoning and hacking instrument used to slaughter baby seals. ‘Tis the season.
While some of us were at our Tea Parties last Wednesday, Obama was waffling over CIA torture, Lynndie England was still in jail, another event was taking place, well to the north of all of us, in the name of “well, it’s a living”.
Parker’s article is a tough read, but there does look like there’s some good news for the innocents:
In the meantime, market and other forces seem to be tilting favorably toward the baby seals. Pelt prices are down from $100 per animal in 2006 to just $15 this year, thus undermining claims of the seals’ economic importance.
PETA has a video, don’t watch it. Just stop wearing any kind of animal fur. As with any animal related for profit industry, there’s torture involved.
The Sea Shepherd has a very good activist page, write some letters!
Special thanks to bipartisanship in the U.S. Congress (what a concept!):
Pressures, meanwhile, are mounting across the border where U.S. Sens. Carl Levin, D-Mich., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, recently introduced a resolution urging the Canadian government to end the commercial seal hunt.
Parker concludes:
As of March 18, Russia has banned its own seal hunt after the bear-hunting Vladimir Putin called sealing a “bloody industry.” And the European Parliament has adopted a declaration banning commercial seal products (but still allows for traditional hunting, e.g. Inuit).
Come on, Canada. See things Putin’s way and I’ll donate my hakapik to the museum of your choice.
I agree. That is, until baby seals become a threat to humans and show up on a DHS “watch list”, leave ’em alone.
Stealth Magnolia 