Serendip is an independent site partnering with faculty at multiple colleges and universities around the world. Happy exploring!

Reply to comment

adowton's picture

 I too, I think, would have

 I too, I think, would have difficulty eating whale meat. I can't say that i've ever actually been presented with the option, but it doesn't sound like an opportunity i'd jump at. 

 We hunt cows and deer and all other sorts of animals, and I think these other animals can have culture too. I know that quotas exist for that kind of hunting, and they exist so we can get what we need, without drastically effecting the ecosystem. Something similar should be in place for hunting whales. The need for a governing agency of some sort is clear. There needs to be an entity that regulates the amount of whales being killed in certain regions (if the killing of whales is to be allowed at all). 

While I accept the fact that eating whale is a part of certain cultures in places other than America, I can't help but hear Naa's voice from class, saying that, just because something is part of a culture, does not mean that it is OK for it to be...she very correctly pointed out the example of female genital mutilation. Should we excuse behaviors/attitudes on the premise that they have already been established in certain cultures?

Reply

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
To prevent automated spam submissions leave this field empty.
14 + 2 =
Solve this simple math problem and enter the result. E.g. for 1+3, enter 4.