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[The water cooler - What Eastsiders are talking about - By Ann Garretson]

"What are you thoughts about the Makah's whale hunt?"
(asked at the Bellevue Regional Library on 05-20-99; published in the EJ on 05-23-99)


[pt.]John Harvey, Sales manager, Bellevue
[blue rule]
"I just haven't gotten emotional about that issue. I'm so far removed from that world -- it doesn't affect me on a daily basis. There are so many more burning issues that do affect people -- to see so much emotion tied up in this one seems misplaced."

[pt.]Lois Beckenbaugh, Retired teacher, Fall City
[blue rule]
"I think that as a tradition, there's probably not much you can argue with. But as a modern person, I think it's barbaric. After all, we're educated and we know that whales are kind and gentle creatures. To attack them with guns really doesn't seem very traditional."

[pt.]Judy Vosburgh, Library page/assistant, Redmond
[blue rule]
"Basically I feel that animals are here for our purposes -- God provided them for our purposes -- and I don't believe in cruelty to animals. But I don't necessarily feel that their mode of killing is cruel, so I have no problem with their tradition."

[pt.]Donald Johnson, Retired merchandise manager, Bellevue
[blue rule]
"My thoughts are I think there's lots of whales around and they can have their one or two or three or five. I think that they're trying to get back something they lost years ago."

[pt.]James Sunwoo, Research scientist, Mercer Island
[blue rule]
"Initially, when I thought it was just one whale, I wasn't opposed to it. Now that it's 20 whales in something like the next three years, I'm more opposed to it, but I'm still undecided."

[pt.]Nicole Boals, Restaurant manager, Factoria
[blue rule]
"I'm totally against it. They claim tradition, but they're using modern weapons. It's not needed anymore. I don't see the point in it."

 

[blue rule]

© 1999 by the Bellevue, WA-based Eastside Journal newspaper.

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