SeaWorld tragedy: Can whales murder?
Feb 26, 2010 at 3:42 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 79
chadbang

chadbang

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We had a little debate about this at work and just wondering what other people think. Can a killer whale be a "killer" whale? If an animal kills for food, that can be defended as self-preservation, but what if an animal kills for sport? Does that make it, like a human, a true "killer"?
 
Feb 26, 2010 at 3:47 AM Post #2 of 79
Sure. Lots of things can be killers. Mice can be killers.

Only standard humans can murder. No animal has the capacity of mind for moral thought, ergo, no animal can commit murder, irrespective of the motivation for any individual act which results in the death of something else on its part.
 
Feb 26, 2010 at 3:54 AM Post #3 of 79
Quote:

Originally Posted by Duggeh /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Sure. Lots of things can be killers. Mice can be killers.

Only standard humans can murder. No animal has the capacity of mind for moral thought, ergo, no animal can commit murder, irrespective of the motivation for any individual act which results in the death of something else on its part.


an animal with mens rea, that would be scary
 
Feb 26, 2010 at 3:58 AM Post #4 of 79
I dunno bout yer fancy words and thinkings, but I say if a whale be a killin, he be a murderin
 
Feb 26, 2010 at 4:13 AM Post #5 of 79
Animals can easily be man-killers. There are enough well documented cases of big cats killing humans and then developing a taste for it and becoming serial killers to prove that any large predatory animal has it within its nature to become a man-killer (though they aren't necessarily born with the instinct). However, as Duggeh has mentioned, of what we know about the mental though processes and behavior of animals in general, animals do not have the mentality to understand murder or be capable of committing murder. For murder to take place, the 'murderer' needs to be capable of understanding what they are setting out to do and what the ramification of doing so is, and animals do not have that ability.
 
Feb 26, 2010 at 4:18 AM Post #6 of 79
Well, in a common law state yeah, whales can murder. The mens rea is just extreme recklessness or depraved heart, or in other words, a reckless killing that exhibits indifference to the value of human life. That whale didn't give a damn about the value of the life of his/her trainer so, yeah, thats depraved heart. Can you imagine the whale testifying though
prosecution: "could you please state your name for the record?"
Whale: "killer whale"
Prosecution: "no further questions"
Something tells me a jury would nullify though.

Edit: not to mention PETA would go ballistic.
 
Feb 26, 2010 at 4:31 AM Post #7 of 79
I'm glad the animals aren't having the same debate about us.

slaughterhouse_victims.jpg


slaughterhouse_CAFT_s2064.90222253.jpg


m_1126099b.jpg


DSCN0200_006.jpg
 
Feb 26, 2010 at 5:15 AM Post #12 of 79
Quote:

Originally Posted by jax /img/forum/go_quote.gif
I'm glad the animals aren't having the same debate about us.


Exactly. Humans think they are above everything, when in truth we are animals.

I've heard they torture these performing animals, from making them more domesticated to shocking them for sperm.

If the question really is can the whale be held responsible, my answer is of course not.
 
Feb 26, 2010 at 5:24 AM Post #13 of 79
Quote:

Originally Posted by Graphicism /img/forum/go_quote.gif

I've heard they torture these performing animals, from making them more domesticated to shocking them for sperm.



Ah, so marriage IS torture.
 
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