Photo: bbum
Three members of the Washington state Makah tribe who were charged with killing a gray whale in the fall have pled guilty to a misdemeanor charge of violating the Marine Mammal Protection Act. In return, prosecutors will recommend probation instead of jail time. The men had originally declined the plea deal because it could have prevented them from participating in legal whale hunting while on probation, but the three pled guilty after that stipulation was dropped. Two other Makah members involved in the whale hunt declined the plea deal and will go to trial as soon as next week.
sources:
source: The Seattle Times, Associated Press
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Comments
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Tasermons Partner Posted 4:33 am
31 Mar 2008
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caniscandida Posted 6:04 am
31 Mar 2008
The single gray whale who was put to death last year, in what was clearly most inhumane circumstances, was, fortunately, not the sole hope of the species, or even of the local population.
Right now, it is important for everybody to BACK OFF from the Makah community. We MUST give them time to work out not just the law but the ethics --- which plainly they want to do, amidst great public embarrassment.
It is one of the failings of our civilization, that we do not usually acknowledge the great good that comes with conducting ourselves well. We emphasize our personal pleasure, our personal enjoyment of what wealth we have, up to the point where it might intrude upon the convenience of our neighbor. But we say too little about the positive value of doing nice things.
It is up to the Makah, right now, men and women, of all ages, to continue thinking about what they value, over against us, the Euro-American tyrants, now and again benevolent.
Hopefully they will understand that "doing nice things" overcomes standing up in adolescent destructive protest against us tyrants.
And, hopefully, we may learn that lesson too.
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Wolverine Posted 9:20 am
31 Mar 2008
I'm normally a very strong supporter of traditional indigenous people, but on this issue we part ways.
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spaceshaper Posted 11:46 am
31 Mar 2008
I like.
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