Tradition?

This week, Thanksgiving will make its annual return along with heralding the beginning of the holiday season. This is a time of year filled with tradition. Turkey dinners, stuffing, eating too much, fishing (for some of you), football (for others), Christmas trees, shopping at 4am (even I wouldn't do that), caroling, decorating, holiday songs up the wazoo... Tradition. It holds us fast and its something we look forward to each year.

But what happens when acts are considered "tradition" that really should be stopped? What happens when something is masked as tradition in order to justify what really is a barbaric act?

Its no secret that I'm an animal activist. Heck, I've been called a tree-hugger, PETA Person, you name it. And quite honestly, I wear any and all of those titles proudly.

Today at lunch, I settled in for my usual Yahoo! reading while I ate and was horrified to see that Japanese boat fleets have taken off to hunt for humpback whales (and other protected whales) in the name of "science" when really they are sold as food and medicine (a practice that is BANNED by the International Whaling Commission). They justify their actions as "tradition". They claim that their smaller fishing villages have hunted whales for hundreds of years in order to sustain their people. Perhaps this is true. And perhaps killing a small number of whales LOCALLY off their shores could be considered the same act as other types of fishing in general.... However, how can they justify traveling thousands of miles from Japan to the humpback whale breeding grounds off of Antarctica to kill HUNDREDS of whales? Were they traveling there hundreds of years ago? I think not. And they justify this in the name of science. They need to travel and kill these magnificent animals in order to study their reproductive systems and feeding patterns. HUH? That makes about as much sense as needing to chew gum in order to solve an algebra problem! (Its called animal testing people, and its SO yesterday and outdated)

I by no means am intolerant of other cultures' traditions. I believe our planet is what it is (good and bad) because of other peoples' practices. I think we should strive to embrace each other's traditions and beliefs. If we did, I think there would be a lot less strife in the world.

HOWEVER

I also think that as the dominant species on this planet, we need to become enlightened enough to be able to protect this planet and all of its inhabitants. I think we need to become stewards of the planet and begin to take responsibility for our actions. It is foolish and ignorant to kill these whales. It is. Period. There is no need for traveling to Antarctica to hunt them down. There is no need to harpoon these whales, chase them for hours while they're wounded, and then drag their half-alive carcasses out of the water and on to a ship where they can die a slow painful death. It is a barbaric form of hunting (another act which I am extremely opposed to)! I hope Greenpeace can stop their hunt (or at the very least, hinder it) and continue to educate the people of this world.

It is a shame that horrific acts like this continue to survive in the name of tradition. Tradition is what is supporting this whale hunt. Traditional medicine is what is supporting the poaching of tigers and other now endangered animals in China and other countries in that region. Tradition is what supports the fur trade around the world where animals are skinned sometimes ALIVE - all because mom/grandma/great grandma/whomever had a fur coat, so its tradition and fashionable. Tradition is what has supported the CLUBBING (yes, clubbing, as in using bats and sticks) of baby seals in Canada. "Traditions" like these are systematic of a species that is going to lead to the demise of this planet. Sometimes traditions should be broken and NOT upheld.

So in this season so richly steeped in tradition, while you decorate your Christmas tree and light your Hanukah candles, please keep in mind that not all traditions should be celebrated. Sometimes its better to take a step back and ask if its not better to break some traditions.

And for those of you who always bring up my eating of meat/wearing of leather, yes, you're right. I do eat meat. But I'm trying to eat less meat. And the meat I do eat, I try to ensure (if at all possible) that it is from a source that is responsible (ie, organic, cage free, etc). And yes, I do wear leather, but I'm making a conscious effort to buy less leather and more synthetic leathers/suedes. Just because someone eats meat doesn't mean that they aren't trying to change their spots. And keep in mind that it isn't all or nothing. If you justify atrocities by saying that its ok because you eat meat (for example) then you're just acting as a facilitator for said atrocities!

Gnaw on that for a while!