Liberty Bell

Save the Whales! You see it on people’s shirts, on their bumper stickers, and wonder why you came to Seattle again.

In a city as big and busy as Seattle you can’t avoid liberals. Including whale loving liberals.

Not that I dislike whales, I just believe the importance placed on whale protection is misplaced.

Because although I don’t care what the majority of ‘normal’ population thinks about whales, I care what my government thinks about whales. And they appear to care about them quite a bit.

It’s something that’s irritated me for years. On the flyers handed out before election, look at the list of things they support. You’ll see such-and-such a bill, quality education (haven’t succeeded, Washington is one of the worst states in regards to the quality of public education), and… save the whales. Yay! Isn’t good to know our tax dollars are being put to such good work?

I’m currently feeling cheesed off at whales. I’m in the process of a two week tread through Moby Dick, and am currently wishing whales had never been created. I shouldn’t blame the whales (I should probably blame Herman Melville, but he’s dead) and I’m not. But I’ve always been annoyed at all the whale loving Washington State politicians and the best way for me to feel a bit better about something is to write about it. So I’m writing now to all you tree-huggin’, whale savin’ people out there. You know who you are.

I am going to state this in simple words and only say it once:

Whales are beautiful animals which deserve rules for protection to help protect them. The rules that are applied to all endangered species and are protecting the endangered whales. It is the job of the state rangers to make sure these laws are obeyed. Our taxes help pay for their salaries. We should not have to pay more money. It is reasonable to expect that the taxes we pay go to protecting, sustaining, and educating ourselves and our families - not whales. It is also reasonable to expect government authorities who care more for the humans they are in charge of than the whales.

There, I feel better now.
Oh, I don’t actually pay taxes yet, but I’m speaking for those who do.