Blog Assignment #6

      In the documentary The Cove, the question arises whether it is ethical break the law, something that is considered unethical, to show something else that is unethical in order to do something that is right.  In this case the documentary shows the unethical treatment of dolphins and the possible extinction of them.  Richard O’Barry is an activist for the dolphins. He was the trainer of Kathy, the dolphin who played Flipper in the 1960’s TV series.  When Kathy died in captivity in the arms of Ric he realized that training a beautiful animal to perform silly tricks was ridiculous.  He became an activist and has released over twenty-five dolphins in captivity.  Ric said in the film that he feels responsible for the multi-billion dollar industry in capturing dolphins for entertainment that he helped create. He has made it his life mission to break the law and show the unethical treatment of the dolphins and ultimately fee them of this torture.

       Breaking the law is seemingly unethical. However, O’Barry was attempting to show what is unethical by being unethical. In a sense he was doing wrong to show a wrong, to do a right. In Japan dolphins are captured and the ones they don’t use for places like Sea World for performing, are cut up for their meat. Although the dolphin meat is contaminated by mercury, and most people in Japan don’t eat dolphin meat anyway.  Most Japanese citizens are not aware that some of the meat they are eating is dolphin, and most don’t know of the cruelty towards the dolphins.  This documentary has caused the Japanese citizens to be more aware of the unethical treatment and most are in agreement that it is wrong.

        Though the filming of the actual treatment of the dolphins is prohibited it did not stop Ric and activists from trying to capture and expose the truth. Though it was unethical of them to smuggle in camera equipment to film the dolphins, their purpose was a good one. They did not break the law for the sake of breaking it, the broke the law to stop a terrible thing. In most instances two wrongs do not make a right, but in this case they made two wrongs in the hopes that what they do would result someday in a right action in the prevention of dolphin cruelty.  They pursued an ethical answer through actions of unethical means. One-day dolphins may once again be a free and unharmed animal.  

The Cove. Dir. Louie Psihoyos. Perf. Richard O'Barry. Jim Clark in Association 

        with Diamond Docs and Skyfish Films, 2009. DVD.