The Lessons of Free Willy

Did you ever see the movie Free Willy? I can't remember what year it was but I do remember taking my young kids to see it. I also remember my daughter, who couldn't have been much more than three or four, crying her eyes out before the opening title sequence was even over. This is going to be along movie, I remember thinking.

The titles were superimposed over the back story of how Willy was captured and brought to Sea World, or wherever he was supposed to have been performing. I remember lots of nets and lots of sniffles, which were allayed when she realized that the point of the movie was to return Willy from whence he came.

All of which explains my reaction to the death of a whale trainer at Sea World on Wednesday. Why is it that a three year old can figure out that the killer whale in question should never have been in captivity while the executives at Sea World are busy refining their safety procedures?

If you were a wild beast confined to a white tank, without the ability to hunt your own food, much less swim in open waters to find it, I guarantee you too would eventually bite the hand that fed you. Killer whales quite simply are not tourist attractions unless they are swimming in the open sea, at which point you might not want to get in their way.

I am sorry a trainer lost her life but even sorrier that the whale in question is going to be blamed for being aggressive. Trust me, even a three year old can figure out what's wrong with this picture.