From: chrstie@ccu.umanitoba.ca (William John M. Christie)
Subject: Re: PETA Action Line 1
Organization: University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
Distribution: global
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 1992 17:14:09 GMT

In <1992Aug26.195000.11164@ccu.umanitoba.ca> jester@ccu.umanitoba.ca (Jonathan Esterhazy) writes:

>In article <1992Aug25.203830.2191@ccu.umanitoba.ca>, chrstie@ccu.umanitoba.ca (William John M. Christie) writes:
>> 

>> For the record:
>> Six belugas were captured in all.  Two were released due to virus' that were
>> considered detrimental to the other four that were going to be used in the
>> aquariam.  No whales were reported stressed by the event according to the
>> Winnipeg Free Press.  Activists up there were apparently harrased only by
>> locals after having harrassing the locals in the first place.  Information
>> is from the local newspaper and available to the public.
>> -- 
>> ==========================================================================
>>   Any opinions expressed above are usually made with some thought which   
>>   is my own and is not intended to represent the University in any way.
>> ==========================================================================
>> 

>Whoops. Didn't see that last bit there. It is an absolute BALD LIE that
>I, or other members of the team ever harrassed ANY locals. There was one
>emotional, heated confrontation near the holding tank, but NO activist
>"harrassed" anyone. In fact, after that confrontation, a member of the
>Churchill RCMP thanked us for the efforts we took to maintain the peace,
>and chastised FEDERAL FISHERIES EMPLOYEES for their inflamatory
>behaviour.
>You should have asked me for the facts, Will, before trying to discredit
>the expedition in the widest forum you could find.
>jester@ccu.umanitoba.ca (Jonathan Esterhazy)

The post that I made was to present information that was made available to me
through the local newspaper (and was stated as such) that appeared to be in
conflict with PETA Action Line #1 posting.  I do not believe that I stated that
I was discrediting the AR expedition.  These were the facts as presented to me
by what I consider an independent source and I will pass them on to other
people to make what they will of them, hence 'Information is from the local
newspaper and available to the public.'
If you feel that the information that I have posted is a discredit to the
AR expedition in 'the widest forum I could find.' you might consider:
   1.  Are you yourself not attempting to discredit information that I have
       posted?  Or to be true the information of the Winnipeg Free Press?
       At the very least the Shedd aquariam project itself?  Judging from
       my post and the information in it in comparison to your post and
       it's content then you are doing the same thing.
   2.  With regards to the widest forum possible is this not what 
       talk.politics.animals is all about?  
I would not approach you for information as, vice-versa, I consider you biased
and you would probably have only re-iterated the same thing I was addressing
in the PETA post.
Addressing the animals stress levels was from the paper.  For the record I have
no opinion on the long-term effects (social, mental, psychological) on the
whales as I (and I believe all other non-species) are not yet capable of
comprehending it as yet.  I believe it is a fallacy to equate animals feelings
with those that humans feel.  Please understand that this is my position on
the matter and I am stating it so you (and any other readers) will not launch
a large 'animal's feel/don't feel like humans' thread as there are enough of
those already around.  It would be akin to me attempting to discuss the points
of pedo baptism with a fundamental Annabaptist.
If you have any other comments directed towards me feel free to ask via post,
e-Mail or whatever suits your fancy.

Sincerely,
Will Christie
chrstie@ccu.umanitoba.ca
-- 
==========================================================================
  Any opinions expressed above are usually made with some thought which   
  is my own and is not intended to represent the University in any way.
==========================================================================
Newsgroups: talk.politics.animals