The Blood is Flowing in the Cove: Ten Pilot Whales were brutally slaughtered this morning in Taiji Japan/ here is an excerpt of the report that I received from Steve Thompson an activist to save the dolphins:
Dear Friends:
SSCS reports: First Blood: the dolphin kills begin.
NO Media coverage...NO SURPRISE...This is how it has been for EVERY almost every hunting season for 35 years of western activists getting involved. It will take a celebrity or a local Taiji 24 hour sit-in demo to get news coverage. And then, coverage will probably not be positive however unless it involves many Japanese people. There has never been a major organization to invest real funding and resources in Japanese activists. I hope this season is different.
There is no reasonable danger in Taiji! All who can, should go when they can!
The meditation vs. action debate is well-heard...but perhaps not well understood...which will take time...private phone conversations perhaps...
In a nut shell: I am one of those who gets really fu@king angry at the fact of the killings...I was even assaulted by the hunters last year...see youtube "Steven Thompson brutalized in Taiji" ...the police didn't care...part of me doesn't mind going to jail...part of me feels like sinking the ships...kidnapping a dolphin hunter and tying him down and slitting his neck...rejoicing in his last gasps of life...
Yet...
Meditation and vision are the things that keep me looking for solutions instead of breaking down into tears and these angry destructive thoughts. Meditation and positive imaging keeps my creativity flowing.
We will obviously all choose our own paths, but one thing is certain: going down to Taiji is a good thing this season. Bear witness. Spread awareness. Make friends. Look for solutions.
For me, around Oct. 7th, will be my 6th tour of duty. Join me if you'd like.
Ric's Save Japan Dolphins has paid for an observer and a translator to be in Taiji (see the SJD blog). SSCS calls for volunteers. We need more ideas and local investment of resources: perhaps an office in Taiji. We need volunteers to put their kids in school...in Japanese schools. Celebrities would spread the message...in-country spin would probably not look good but it would continue to raise awareness externally.
Please keep pressure on at Japanese Consulates and Embassies, get to know the Japanese staff...if this is combined with a media attention gathering strategy, it can be more effective. Perhaps petitions that go around could be delivered there. Link to Japan. Perhaps art: music, paintings, plays. Involve children...talk about dolphin families and saving the baby dolphins...anything to give a fresh face to our message: end the hunt. Send your work to Japan and I will take it to Taiji and try to get media coverage with it.
Now, I think, the most vulnerable among us would be perhaps Elora; please send her our love...this is a tough time to be a young activist in Taiji.
In hopes of a dolphin safe and friendly Taiji,
Steven Thompson
TDAG Founder
The Only Way that this is ever going to stop is to get the message to the Japanese people..their country is in a news blackout about what is happening in their waters..world pressure must be kept up..
Please consider getting involved with my Video Project to lend a strong voice to the opposition of this annual killing..Steven is going to Taiji in Japan and I have offered to give him a copy of this video and the results of the petition from Twitter to take with him...we need voices inside of Japan to raise awareness!!
If you have any ideas..please share them...in the meantime it takes a few minutes to make a protest sign, take a picture and send it to dolphins@bell.net..
The original deadline was today Sept. 21st..but in light of what has just happened in Taiji I will extend the submission deadline until Thursday Sept. 23...
PLEASE TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO HELP THE DOLPHINS>>>THEY NEED US SO!!!!!
Thank you
Jackie Bigford
http://twitter.com@jackiesbuzz
http://facebook.com/j.bigford
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