Benefit Screening of The Cove with Bob Weir, Ric O'Barry & Louie Psihoyos

I was so blessed to be able to attend the Benefit Screening of The Cove with Ric O'Barry and many more as special guests.  It was a wonderful night.

Ric O'Barry and me!

Here is a little information about the movie The cove for those of you who have not seen it....

"The Little Town with a Really Big Secret"

Each year from September to May over 20,000 dolphins are slaughtered in Taiji Japan. Fishermen drive them up by the hundreds using sound barriers to disorient the frantic dolphins and are driven into a "secret" cove.  Bottlenose dolphins, especially ones that look like Flipper, are pre-selected by trainers and sold for up to $200,000 to marine mammal parks around the world, where they will remain in captivity performing.  Living a life of loneliness and sadness. After the trainers have picked the ones that are pretty enough for a life of captivity the rest of the dolphins are inhumanely killed in what can only be described as a massacre. 
The slaughtered dolphins are later used for food, but the Japanese government has purposely  kept people from the dangers of eating them. Dolphin meat has high levels of mercury,  Adding to the lies much of the  meat the Japaneses  purchase is actually mislabeled and is toxic dolphin meat. While the Japanese government defends dolphin hunting as part of their cultural heritage, this tradition has serious health risks for the people of Japan.
The captive dolphin industry is the driving economic force behind the dolphin slaughter in Taiji. In the U.S. alone, dolphinariums represent an $8.4 billion industry, while a dead dolphin catch  $600. International law provides no protections against the killing of dolphins, and other slaughters occur in other places outside of Japan.

http://www.thecovemovie.com/

Well I was at the benefit I was able to meet some fellow activist friends who I have been in touch with about going to Taiji and document the slaughter of dolphins.....I am on the list to go with Save japan Dolphins...how exciting.  But is it really???  Of course knowing that my passion for this was actually going to become a reality is very cool.  

After that night I came home and told my family, ''I am going to Taiji....most likely in February.''  With some not so happy looks from my husband and family they all said "OK, what can we do to help you get there??"  So our fundraising ideas were in the making again.  

However, about a week ago I received several e-mails from fellow activist who have been in Taiji in the past.  These e-mails could not have been more heartfelt....they were basicly telling me not to go to Taiji.  That it is not safe there with all the radiation that is STILL leaking into the ocean, that it will be in the food I eat, the water I drink, the showers I take.  In everything....That radiation is "insidious" and being a mother and a wife I should not put my self at risk.  

In my heart I already knew this...but is seems to hit harder when you hear it from someone else who is not related to you, and is just telling like it is.

So after some tears, once again...I have decided that it is not in my best interest to go to Taiji this year.   This does not mean that my passion for what goes on there will end. I will just have to be pro-active here and do what I can to protest the annual slaughter of Dolphins in Taiji, and  spread the word to anyone who will listen.  

I have been thinking where I can go instead and what I can do? Thinking and wondering...I want to be a part of something BIG.  I want to make a difference.

I have been researching other organizations that I could volunteer with for a few weeks, there are a lot of them.   Then my next thought was maybe I should volunteer with Sea Shepherd to to be a On Crew volunteer....I have the application in my hand. 

For those of you have generously donated to my trip to Japan...I will be more then happy to refund you your money...for those of you who do not want a refund, please know that your money will still go to my future trip or any campaign  or destination I may go in the next year...just not sure where yet.    I have a passion, and I want to be active in it...and I dont give up on my dreams.

xoxoxoxox