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02.10.2012 0

Free Willy… from slavery?

By Rebecca DiFede and Rick Manning — Have you ever seen the show The Dog Whisperer?  It features a man who claims he can telepathically communicate with and speak to dogs. Following its success, a new show is to be aired in its place:

The Whale Whisperer. The heartwarming story of a group of people who believe that they can communicate with and understand the feelings of Orca whales.

Okay, that’s not real — but this is.

Recently officials representing the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) brought suit against SeaWorld on behalf of the orcas performing in their aquatics show, citing that it violates the 13th amendment which prohibits slavery.

As ridiculous as that may seem, it is unfortunately very real. This case, which was just shot down in the California courts, attempted to claim that the “employment” of the whales amounts to unlawful imprisonment and that Tilikum, Katina, Corky, Katsaka and Ulises (the names of the San Diego parks five Orca whale performers) are being held against their will.

Jeff Kerr, general counsel for PETA, when asked to describe the reasoning behind the failed lawsuit stated that “Coercion, degradation and subjugation characterize slavery and these orcas have endured all three.”

Clearly someone is just bitter that they never get to see Shamu perform.

This assertion by PETA is basically stating that the rights laid out in the Constitution by our forefathers, for all of the humans living in the United States, should now also apply to all of the animals as well. Is the next step a union for polar bears?

I agree that the abuse of animals should not be tolerated.  However, to try to confer to animals the rights guaranteed under the Constitution demeans the rights of humans rather than uplifting the status of animals.

When you dive down to the heart of the matter, you will find that this bizarre view of the world is shared by one of our illustrious president’s most powerful appointees. Cass Sunstein, Obama’s self-titled “regulatory czar”, has publicly stated multiple times that he not only believes in the rights of animals as equal to humans but goes so far as to believe that animals should be allowed to bring suit against their masters, with humans as their representatives.

If an animal is being abused by its owner, the right action isn’t having the animal file a lawsuit against the owner, but rather for animal control to remove the animal from the home and arrest the perpetrator. Animal abuse is a felony and the charges pressed against the owner would do more than a lawsuit.

What would the restitution be? A lifetime supply of Alpo?

The complete and utter insanity of this PETA lawsuit is significant because it sheds light on the radical views of Obama’s closest appointees and the groups they support.

Due to clever marketing abetted by flaky Hollywood personalities, PETA has gained a weird legitimacy in the media.

It is particularly odd that PETA has mainstreamed given the contention by the group’s founder Ingrid Newkirk has made that, “Six million Jews died in concentration camps, but six billion broiler chickens will die this year in slaughter houses.”

So, when you believe that there is no difference between Hitler’s attempt to destroy the Jewish people and the horrors of Auschwitz and a chicken processing plant, there should be little surprise that the same group would attempt to imbue U.S. Constitutional rights on sea mammals.

What is shocking is that the person who Obama entrusts to review every regulation that comes out of his Administration is someone who shares the same philosophical views as this extremist sect.

So, laugh about the whacky California lawsuit if you must, but realize that the fringe works in the White House and influences every policy decision that comes out of the Executive Branch.

Still laughing?

Rebecca DiFede is a contributing editor to Americans for Limited Government. Rick Manning is the Director of Communications for Americans for Limited Government.

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