SeaWorld sued over 'enslaved' killer whales

• EndlessDreams wrote on 2012-02-07 09:33

  Quote from BBC News:

  
  Five killer whales have been named as plaintiffs in a court case which argues they deserve the same constitutional protection from slavery as humans.
  
  A US judge is considering People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals' (Peta) lawsuit against SeaWorld.
  
  It is reportedly the first time a US court has heard legal arguments over whether animals should enjoy the same constitutional protections as humans.
  
  SeaWorld's legal team said the case was a waste of time and resources.
  
  The marine park's lawyer, Theodore Shaw, told the court in San Diego: "Neither orcas nor any other animal were included in the 'We the people'... when the Constitution was adopted."
  
  He said that if the case were successful, it could have implications not just on how other marine parks or zoos operate, but even on the police use of sniffer dogs to detect bombs and drugs.
  'Historic case'
  
  Peta claims the killer whales are treated like slaves for being forced to live in tanks and perform daily at the SeaWorld parks in California and Florida.
  
  It is not considered likely that the whales will win their freedom, but campaigners said they were pleased the case even made it to a courtroom.
  
  The lawsuit invokes the 13th Amendment to the constitution, which abolished "slavery or involuntary servitude" in the US.
  
  Jeffrey Kerr, the lawyer representing the five whales, said: "For the first time in our nation's history, a federal court heard arguments as to whether living, breathing, feeling beings have rights and can be enslaved simply because they happen to not have been born human.
  
  "By any definition these orcas have been enslaved here."
  
  Hearing the arguments for about an hour, US District Judge Jeffrey Miller raised concerns over whether animals could be represented as plaintiffs in a lawsuit.
  
  He will issue a ruling at a later date.
  
  Peta names the five wild-captured orca plaintiffs as Tilikum and Katina, who are at SeaWorld Orlando; and Kasatka, Corky, and Ulises, at SeaWorld San Diego.
  
  It is not Tilikum's first time in the media spotlight - he drowned his trainer before horrified spectators in February 2010, prompting a ban on the Florida park's employees entering the water to perform tricks with the orcas.
  
  The same whale has also been linked to two other deaths.
  

  
  
  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-16920866
  
  More fail from PETA as usual.
• Yoorah wrote on 2012-02-07 11:02
  Hilarious.
• Xemnas wrote on 2012-02-07 11:04
  As soon as I saw the thread title I thought "PETA".
• Scarlet wrote on 2012-02-07 11:04
  [FONT="Times New Roman"]I wonder what lawyer would actually take the case... (and i mean attempt to sue seaworld for this whale crap)[/FONT]
• ValkyrieHamster wrote on 2012-02-07 11:25
  Imagine what would happen if they won, it would set a precedence that would basically kill every zoo in the United States. Or imagine all those enslaved cattle on ranches that people use for beef!
  
  How's that for the economy. And PETA wouldn't even care.
• BobYoMeowMeow wrote on 2012-02-07 14:00
  *stops reading after PETA*
  man why isn't it surprising
• TheKartheus wrote on 2012-02-07 20:08
  The real question is why that whale isn't in prison. He committed murder at least once, and in front of bystanders? I daresay he deserves at least 15 years jail time.
• TA wrote on 2012-02-07 21:06
  This is stupid.
• Kollin wrote on 2012-02-08 02:08

  Quote from TA;766480:

  This is stupid.

  
  
  This is PETA we are talking about.
• Sayoko wrote on 2012-02-08 06:21

  Quote from TheKartheus;766454:

  The real question is why that whale isn't in prison. He committed murder at least once, and in front of bystanders? I daresay he deserves at least 15 years jail time.

  
  
  The orca is in the prison known as SeaWorld.
• Medusa wrote on 2012-02-08 06:24
  can this please lead to government funding to determine the sentience of animals?
• BizarreJuju wrote on 2012-02-08 07:13
  Silly PETA, Animals arnt humans, they dont even know what human rights are o3o
  
  

  
  
  1. PETA Wins
     
  2. Whales/Dolphins are released back into the ocean
     
  3. Whales/Dolphins tell about how cruel humans were to them, trapping them inside a fish tank and teaching them how to do tricks
     
  4. Months later, the sea creatures revolt, killing many people at the beach, fishing, scuba diving, etc
     
  5. GJ PETA...