alana

So? What's your point? "A bit high" compared to what? Is there some limit on the number of replies one is allowed to make? Do you have a problem with the exercise of free speech? Participation here is voluntary. You don't have to read this thread. I don't believe she has a problem with it. I think she might just have a problem with HOW it might be abused sometimes. And when I say abused, that's relative to how someone views how one should conduct themsleves. She used HER freedom of speach to let you know that she doesn't agree with HOW you conduct yourself, that's it. Just like YOU have commented on how everyone else should view this issue and how they should think. You shouldn't have an issue with that.

And your Nickname in your profile is "combatpackerbarbie". Pot, meet kettle.Quote Now, if you only knew WHY her nickname is combat barbie packer you wouldn't have made such an uneducated comment. Her nickname has NOTHING to do with this post or any other post on this planet. She is not in combat or has ever been in combat. She doesn't kill or shoot things.... Let me EDUCATE you on WHY she is nicknamed that...She is a KICK ASS packer at her local dz and has been nicknamed that like MANY others have nicknamed themselves names which are meaningful to them. It is a positive thing, NOT a negative thing which you are trying to turn it into. Let's not make things into what they're not. I agree with her whole heartedly...... Peace

I don't buy this whole thing about the moronic hunters not having another way to support their family. If they are too stupid to do something better then perhaps they should have never made their children to begin with. I have a college degree, own my own house and make more money than the average individual. But I don't see where I would get the money to support children. Hence I don't have any. Justifying animal torture because somebody is too stupid to find a more civilized job is not something I will support. Agree completely... And I don't agree in the Holocaust as a side note. To clarify....which I have already done a few times, is the fact that I vented my thoughts and aggressions out on this forum as to what I would "hypothetically" like to do to the hunters so that they could feel the pain they cause. I will apologize now for not making it clear that I could and would never do something of the sort, but only wish they would think about the suffering and pain they are inflicting. As to the attacks on me for "stating my opinions" on this subject....People are going to be biased. People are going to take sides and take stands. ..it's called having "opinions" and how one choses to interperate and take in the information presented. Why is it that just becasue I have posted my decision on which side I take, what I believe to be true (and I have done my reearch on both sides) that I am being condemned for speaking out? People take sides, people voice their opinions, all of you have, should I condemn you for judging me before you have done ALL your homework...no!! This is called speakers corner for a reason, and if people are continually condemning others for their thoughts and beliefs then none of you will ever grow. I listen, I think, I hear you all, but condeming me, or anyone else for taking a side, won't help me or anyone else to grow or see the other side, it will just make them stick to their side even more. RESPECT others opinions and beliefs. I've chosen my side and there's not much you're gonna do about it. Like the seal hunters themselves..they believe it's right to slaughter the seals, so they do it. I just happen to be on the opposing side. Peace

If that's the case, I don't support it and would condemn it strongly. I was really just stirring up crap earlier. It pisses me off to see animals suffer. Especially, when it can be prevented or minimized. What if that is the case, but the ultimate goal is wildlife management? Could be for the overall health of the seal population or even so that other species can survive. (I don't know that that's the case, but I don't know that it isn't either.) - Jim Go to the sites I posted or google it and you'll find out more. It's not for those reasons.

I challenge you to find any post I've ever made in which I've said I would take a large group of people, tie their hands behind their backs, and execute them, simply because I disagree with them on some political or social issue.Quote That's not what that person is talking about.....

Then why did you reply; "I would honestly need to know ALL the facts before I responded"? That implies that you did read the article, and thought it didn't present all the facts. If you didn't read it, why didn't you just ignore the question, instead of responding as if you had read it? Were you trying to mislead people? And once again, you spoke something which you now retract, and claim you wouldn't really do. How are we supposed to believe anything you say when you keep making these knee-jerk responses, and then change your mind a few seconds later? You're letting your emotions overrule your objectiveness. These things are destroying your intellectual credibility here... Let people say what they want ot say. I'm not retracting anything, I'm merely explaining what I wrote. No one else seems to be condeming me for explaining myself. Why do you always want to make everyone seem like they're wrong? Wouldn't it feel better to actually agree with something someone says?...try it. Actaully, I have no more words for you.....I'm done with you....too much energy wasted.

Agreed

hhh, well it's nice to know that you have a heart of gold for seals, and the heart of a torturer and mass murderer for the people with whom you disagree. Thanks for revealing your true nature. It's not a pretty picture... It's always amusing to see how people who profess to care so much for some helpless creature, would be so willing to commit the same atrocities against human beings. What hypocrisy! Again, as I commented earlier, I have a heart of gold for humans AND animals. I think it would be interesting for these guys to feel the pain of the seals they are killing. I ALWAYS put myself in the other persons shoes before I do something, think about how they might feel and if it's negative and I wouldn't want that act commited toward me, I don't do it. Again, relax, take a big breath and treat people like you would want to be treated. Calling someone a mass murder isn't always the best way to have a converstaion.

Yes, she was there. If you were to read on and go to some other pages, she actually tells about her personal occurances with the hunt. She has a team of 3 plus a helicopter pilot. Check out the video they took...it doesn't lie.

Right, if I were to ACTUALLY commit that horrible act, then yes, I would expect if someone did it to me that it would be right. But I'm not tha kind of human being. I act towards others the way I want to be treated..so in reality I would never actually to that to them. I wouldn't want to stoop to that level. You can't tell me that if someone hurt someone or something you love or respect or care about that you wouldn't imagine making them feel the pain they caused so that they understand what they did?.....that's all I was saying. The seals play with fish for food purposes, I can't condemn nature and the food chain. ...and yes, that would be silly, a fish with hands :)

I would honestly need to know ALL the facts before I responded. That's a cop-out. The news article gave you enough facts to make a judgement call. It's ironic how you read biased articles against the seal hunt and presume to know enough about the facts to condemn the seal hunt. And yet here you are at the same time with similar facts regarding a conflict with deer, and suddenly you don't have "all" the facts. How cute. You are one arnery guy....relax a minute before you condemn someone for something. Jesus! I haven't had time to read your article. And it's funny how say "THE" news article..like I'm supposed to read one news article and take that for the ONLY facts in the manner. Thought you were condeming me for reading a lot of different articles and making a judgment call; and now you think that I can read ONE article which you posted and make a judgment call? Think before you post!!!! I 've read both sides of the fence regarding the seal hunt and still don't feel it's right. Do you think that just because I've read both sides of the coin regarding the seal hunt that I MUST side on the side of government? People take sides, that is what we do in life. We make our decisions based on our own thoughts, ideas, beliefs, research and feelings and I have done my homework on the seal issue. YOUR issue, I have not. And as a side note to you....try not to be so negative all the time, it doesn't help your case. I would rather listen to someone venting their opinions than somene calling me cute as a degrade.

What would you do to the seal hunters? Club them to death, then skin them, and throw their bodies in a pile? I have a vivid imagination.....you've commented about killing babies/unborns before, that's a sensitive issue for you, what would you want to do to the poeple who commited those acts? As for the seal hunters......yeah probably. Deal with them in the same manner thay have dealt with seals. Maybe tie their hands behind their backs, take away their means of defense and see how they defend themselves then. All they'd be able to do is raise their heads to look up just like the seals they kill. I'd like to let them feel the anguish they inflict on these beautiful and defenseless creatures. Don't get me started.....

I would be interested to hear your opinion on my post #81, above, whereby the overpopulation of deer is wiping out other species. Would you fight against the deer hunt in that situation? I would honestly need to know ALL the facts before I responded.

What makes this person an authority? _Am Read about who this person is and what she/they do..... I never said this was someone of authority, but they have been there, seen it and done their research. What more can you ask?

The proaganda you are spewing (skinning seals alive) is a myth. The videos you mention are 20-30 years old. Things have changed. Even Greenpeace has stated they are using outdated footage to stir up more dollars from people like you. . http://stream.realimpact.net/?file=realimpact/hsus/video_features/seal-hunt-story.smi OR http://www.hsus.org/video_clips/page.jsp?itemID=27260759 Watch this and now tell me if this is something you feel is humane.....note: one shot is of a hunter dragging a seal still wiggling and alive. Humane? You tell me..... Makes me sick.

THE FACTS: Facts about the Canadian Seal Hunt ©2005 HSUS/Kathy Milani What Seals Are Targeted by Canada's Seal Hunt? Harp seals are the primary target of the commercial seal hunt. Fully 95% of the seals killed over the past five years have been harp seal pups between 12 days and 12 weeks of age. To a much lesser degree, hooded seals over one year of age are also killed. Where Are the Seals Killed? Canada's commercial seal hunt occurs on the ice floes off Canada's East Coast in two areas: the Gulf of St. Lawrence (west of Newfoundland and east of the Magdalen Islands) and the "Front" (northeast of Newfoundland). Who Kills Seals and Why? Sealing is an off-season activity conducted by fishermen from Canada's East Coast. They make, on average, a small fraction of their annual incomes from sealing—and the rest from commercial fisheries. Even in Newfoundland, where 90% of sealers live, there are only 4,000 fishermen who actively participate in the seal hunt each year. How Are the Seals Killed? The Canadian Marine Mammal Regulations, which govern the hunt, stipulate sealers may kill seals with wooden clubs, hakapiks (large ice-pick-like clubs) and guns. In the Gulf of St. Lawrence, clubs and hakapiks are the killing implement of choice, and in the Front, guns are more widely used. It is important to note that each killing method is demonstrably cruel. Because sealers shoot at seals from moving boats, the pups are often only wounded. The main sealskin processing plant in Canada deducts $2 from the price they pay for the skins for each bullet hole they find—therefore sealers are loath to shoot seals more than once. As a result, wounded seals are left to suffer in agony—many slip beneath the surface of the water where they die slowly and are never recovered. Is the Seal Hunt Cruel? Yes. In 2001, a report by an independent team of veterinarians who studied the hunt concluded that governmental regulations regarding humane killing were neither being respected nor enforced, and that the seal hunt failed to comply with Canada's basic animal welfare regulations. Shockingly, the veterinarians found that in 42% of the cases they studied, the seals had likely been skinned alive while conscious. Parliamentarians, journalists, and scientists who observe Canada's commercial seal hunt each year continue to report unacceptable levels of cruelty, including sealers dragging conscious seals across the ice floes with boat hooks, shooting seals and leaving them to suffer in agony, stockpiling dead and dying animals, and even skinning seals alive. Click here to see recent video footage of Canada's commercial seal hunt. How Many Seals Are Killed Each Year? Hundreds of thousands. Over the past three years, more than a million seals have been killed. In 2004, 365,971 seals were killed—the largest number of seals killed in Canada in more than half a century. The last time this many seals were killed—in the 1950s and 1960s—close to two thirds of the harp seal population was wiped out. And the actual number of seals killed is probably far higher than the number reported. Many seals are shot at and injured in the course of the hunt, and studies suggest that a significant number of these animals slip beneath the surface of the water, where they die slowly and are never recovered. Are There Any Penalties When Hunters Exceed the Government's Quota? No. In 2002, the Canadian government knowingly allowed sealers to exceed the quota by more than 37,000 animals. Sealers had already killed substantially more than the quota allowed by May 15 (the regulated closing date of the seal hunt) and yet the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans chose to extend the sealing season until June. In 2004, sealers killed close to 16,000 seals more than the permitted quota. Again, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans extended the sealing season until well into June. What Products Are Made from Seals? Seals are killed primarily for their fur, which is used to produce fashion garments and other items. There is a small market for seal oil (both for industrial purposes and for human consumption), and seal penises have been sold in Asian markets as an aphrodisiac. There is almost no market for the meat, so seal carcasses are normally left to rot on the ice. Is the Seal Hunt Economically Important? No. Sealing is an off-season activity conducted by fishermen from Canada's East Coast. They make, on average, one twentieth of their incomes from seal hunting and the rest from commercial fisheries. Even in Newfoundland, where 90% of sealers live, revenues from the hunt account for less than 1% of the province's economy and only 2% of the landed value of the fishery. According to the Newfoundland government, out of a population of half a million people, only 4,000 fishermen participate in the seal hunt each year. The commercial seal hunt is an activity that Canada's federal government could easily replace with economic alternatives should it choose to do so. Does the Government Subsidize the Hunt? Yes. According to reports from the Canadian Institute for Business and the Environment, more than $20 million in subsidies were provided to the sealing industry between 1995 and 2001. Those subsidies came from entities such as the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, Human Resources Development Council, and Canada Economic Development–Quebec. These subsidies take a variety of forms, including funding the salaries for seal processing plant workers, market research and development trips, and capital acquisitions for processing plants. Moreover, Canada's commercial seal hunt is also indirectly subsidized by the Norwegian government. A Norwegian company purchases close to 80% of the sealskins produced in Canada in any given year through its Canadian subsidiary. These skins are shipped in an unprocessed state directly to Norway, where they are tanned and re-exported. The Norwegian government provides significant financial assistance to this company each year. Is It True Seals Are Jeopardizing the Canadian Cod Fishery? There is no evidence to support this contention. Some fishing industry lobby groups try to claim that seals must be culled to protect fish stocks, but nothing could be further from the truth. The scientific community agrees that the true cause of the depletion of fish stocks off Canada's East Coast is human over-fishing. Blaming seals for disappearing fish is a convenient way for the fishing industry to divert attention from its irresponsible and environmentally destructive practices that continue today. In truth, seals, like all marine mammals, are a vital part of the ecosystem of the Northwest Atlantic. Harp seals, which are the primary target of the hunt, are opportunistic feeders, meaning they consume small amounts of many different species. So while approximately 3% of a harp seal's diet may be commercially fished cod, harp seals also eat many significant predators of cod, such as squid. That is why some scientists are concerned that culling harp seals could further inhibit recovery of commercially valuable fish stocks in the Northwest Atlantic. Are Seals Overpopulated? No. The Canadian government and sealing industry have, at various times, tried to claim that the harp seal population has "tripled" over the past three decades, or that the harp seal population is "exploding," or that seals are overpopulated. Nothing could be further from the truth. The harp seal population in the Northwest Atlantic is the world's largest—it is supposed to number in the many millions. This is a migratory population that spans the distance between Canada and Greenland. In the 1950s and 1960s, over-hunting wiped out close to two-thirds of the harp seal population. By 1974, the population was considered to be in serious trouble, and senior government scientists recommended the commercial hunt be suspended for at least ten years. In the early 1980s, the European Union banned the import of whitecoat seal skins, effectively removing the principal market for the hunt at the time. For the next decade, the numbers of seals killed in the hunt dramatically declined, and the harp seal population began to recover. However, according to the last survey conducted by the Canadian government in 1999, the harp seal population stopped recovering in 1996 (when the commercial seal hunt was reintroduced) and began to decline. With more than a million seal pups killed over the past three years alone, we can only wonder what the impact will be on the harp seal population over the coming years.

More information: Reagarding the hunt: www.hsus2.org/slideshow-seal-hunt/sealhunt.html Ways you can help (proactive): www.hsus.org/marine_mammals/protect_seals/protect_seals_what_you_can_do/

First off, sorry about the "eskimo" thing. I had no idea it was derogtory. Why is it derogatory by the way? I think what you're saying is true when it comes to the fact that these seals are hurting the fishing industry in the NE; they're trying to survive as well, just like the fishmen who are killing them. And I never said I would rather save a seal rather than feed a child...you seem to make assumptions and put words into other people's mouths. But I see your point. Although, regarding the "humanity" (you see) by which these fishermen are killing the seals isn't really all that humane. They DO skin them (some) alive and the hunt is not as humane as you want to believe. Greenpeace has not seen a dime from me...they can use my voice if they want me to make a change. I undersasnd your point, but to make lite of this situation like it is the seal's fault for being there and being killed the way they are, is derogatory to their species.

Some people in some places have got to have that too. There are VERY FEW places that actually NEED this fur and those people that do generally hunt their own prey and make the jackets, boots, etc themselves (i.e. eskimos). Theirs is a survival issue, but the jackets, etc that are made out of these baby seals fur ARE NOT for necessity or survival, they are LUXURY items. (like the ones J.LO is selling). Stupid J. Lo ....

Honestly, I was just kidding. However, I don't think beauty has anything to do with it. A duck-billed platypus has as much right to live as that cute white little baby seal or white spotted Bambi in the woods, which is to say they have an equal chance of me putting them on the dinner table. They're animals and I'm a carnivore. Beauty, as they say, is in the eye of the beholder and I think these little creeatures are beautiful as are platypuses and any other animal on this earth. I respect the fact you're a carnivore, but again, this isn't about "meat on the table", this is about fur on someones back.

That's exactly what's happeneing here. It's soooooooo sad. First they are clubbed and then skinned (wether that be alive or not) and then the carcasses are thrown into a pile along with the others. Sometimes you can see the chest moving as they continue to breath (not that I've seen this first hand). The flesh isn't used for food. Nothing else is used besides the fur! I wish I had the means and the $$ to go up there and kick some ass! The things I would do to those bastards!

Thank you for posting that picture...even though I don't think you did it trying to educate people on how sensleless and sad the situation is. Thank you. It makes me so sad to see such beautiful little creatures being killed senselessly. It just rips my heart out, yet fuels my fire even more.

Again, it's all about personal preference and feeling. I chose to fight for the rights of animals because they do not have the words to do it themsleves. They don't have the means to buy a gun or a club and put themselves on the same playing field as the hunters who mercilessly slaughter them. They can't fight back. They can't explain why they shouldn't be killed for their fur. They can't ask to not be left for dead, bleeding and rithing in pain as they try to get away. They cannot fight for THEIR rights as living creatures worthy of respect and love. So, that is why I chose to fight for them. That is why I care so much about annimals, making them MY FIGHT. So, don't judge someone for WHAT their fight is or WHO/WHAT they chose to defend because if you're not there next to them fighting the battle then you have no right to judge. Everyone has differnt opinions about what "deserves" the most attention, what fight should be fought. I am one to fight for the rights of animals BEFORE humans and if you don't undertand it, don't judge it. Peace

I soooooo agree, no job is worth that much time even if you are getting paid hourly. I wouldn't necessarily have another job lined up just yet, unless you think it's going ot be a major issue finding another job. Your boss may counter offer your resigantion if he/she really wants to keep you. But if you've already gone down that road, negotiated all you can and still they won't budge then, yeah finding another job first is a good idea. For me I would take some time off and go skydive my ass off. Everyone's suggestions are right on regarding the content of the letter. Have a letter written, you and he/she signs it, make it official. They may not have you work the 2 weeks they may just let you go. Good luck!

I'm not in a sweat...but I don't think its proper to kill children and spend time worrying about killing animals. I think you and everyone else who believes that just becasue there are abortions going on and, YOU believe that this is a more honorable topic to defend, doesn't make it right to disregard other happenings (or in this case KILLINGS) in the world. There are many topics I would fight for, all of which are worthly of the fight. I happen to be more of an animal advocate thana people advocate. You have picked your battle as abortion, that's fine, but don't degrade the killings of these seals (or any animal) by saying that we should disregard the topic based on the fact that there are abortions going on. Each issue has a right to be defended and is sad in it's own way. If you can't multitask that's your issue. .