It's a shame about ray...
I knew this was going to happen, but I restrained from writing about it because I really wanted to believe that the very prospect of it was ridiculous, at best. However...
Last night while closing the gym, Katie became transfixed by whatever was playing on one of the TVs. I stopped to check it out and discovered they were reporting about how upwards of a dozen stingray corpses had washed up on beaches along Queensland, Australia.
One theory, of course, being that these are revenge killings because of the death of Steve Irwin last week from a stingray barb piercing his heart. This would strike me as the logical explanation considering the timing and the otherwise nearly nonexistent probability of having that many "mutilated" stingray corpses washing up on beaches.
Three words... THIS IS SICK!
I can't believe some sick fucks out there in the world would think that the proper thing to do would be to take revenge on one of the most harmless creatures in the world for the death of Steve Irwin.
How can you people call yourselves fans and true believers of what the Crocodile Hunter stood for? Do you think he would want you to do this? Do you think he's sitting up in Heaven right now cheering on your "memorial tribute"?
NO!
He's just as disgusted as I am about this whole thing. He's cursing and swearing and wishing he could come back to life to bitch slap your worthless asses until you realize that what you are doing is wrong. WRONG! WRONG!
Goddammit. Get your heads out of your asses! If there is anything Steve would want you to do, it would be to educate yourself about the nature and habits of stingrays so that the same thing does not happen to you or someone you know and love. That's what Steve stood for... EDUCATION. And clearly you uneducated fucks can't grasp this concept.
Stingrays are some of the most beautiful and peaceful and magnificent creatures I have ever had the pleasure of beholding. They are elegant and calm and they wouldn't harm a fly unless provoked.
That's not to say that Steve provoked them. He came near one at what is typically perceived by them to be a hostile angle. So it lashed out. If it struck him anywhere else, he would've been laid up in bed for 48 hours with bodyaches (their venom is nonlethal to humans).
Instead, it unfortunately hit him in one area that is quite vulnerable. And it led to his death. It's sad, but it's not the fault of the stingray. If someone came from above you that you didn't recognize and looked like he was going to touch you, you'd react defensively, too. It's an animal response. It happens.
But, please, I know it's sad he's gone, but end these meaningless attacks immediately. This is the definition of pathetic. It's inhumane. It's barbaric. It needs to end.
I have swam with stingrays in the wild, held them, touched them, fed them. And I would hate to think that my fellow humans are capable of such vicious stupidity.
Please reassure me... my fellow man is not that ignorant is he?
That is pathetic, inhumane and digusting. I wish the human race would just get over itself and quit abusing animals.
Posted by: kilax | Wednesday, 13 September 2006 at 01:08 PM
I take it that's Stingray City? I loooooooove that place!!
I went a few years ago and was just in awe of the grace of the stingrays. It's by far my favorite memory from that trip.
That guy holding the stingray actually looks somewhat like the boat capitan we had that day...hmmmm.
I hate that people are killing these creatures, though. SUCH stupidity and arrogance. That just sucks. :(
Posted by: Chase | Wednesday, 13 September 2006 at 01:17 PM
Wow! Revenge killings on stingrays...on an entire species. If only dolphins would learn a lesson from these senseless murders and turn on the commercial fisherman.
Posted by: Anomie-Atlanta | Wednesday, 13 September 2006 at 01:33 PM
I went to Stingray City in the Caymans too! One of the best experiences of my life. Those animals are beautiful creatures and should not be killed because of a freak accident. I def. think the Crock Man himself would agree!
Posted by: Elaine | Wednesday, 13 September 2006 at 02:19 PM
Kilax, sadly, I never see that happening. We're just too violent and stupid a species to know any better.
Chase, yep, Stingray City. Couldn't remember the name when I was typing this. It may very well have been the same guy. You want his number?
Anomie-Atlanta, there are many species that deserve to exact revenge on human beings. In all honesty, I can't think of a single species that doesn't deserve it.
Elaine, I can guarantee with no doubt whatsoever in my mind that he would agree. And I'm just waiting for his wife to make some official statement on it.
Posted by: kapgar | Wednesday, 13 September 2006 at 02:27 PM
Are you joking??? I had dismissed the thought of "revenge killings" taking place since it was totally counterintuitive. That's what I get for putting too much faith in people.
Hey, you know what we should do next??? Lets kill all bears since they must be murdering bastards if one killed Timothy Treadwell.
Posted by: Dustin | Wednesday, 13 September 2006 at 02:41 PM
I've been to Stingray City too! I have similar photos, though I shall not post them on the internet because I find my look on that particular day very unbecoming.
Posted by: Jill | Wednesday, 13 September 2006 at 03:20 PM
Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me?! Jeez...
Posted by: Bec | Wednesday, 13 September 2006 at 03:33 PM
Oh how I want to not be cynical but there is that lowest common denominator out there that is really that stupid and mean....I cannot even believe that shit, seriously.
Why don't they use that energy to help find America's Most Wanted or erm, Australia's Most Wanted, which I assure them are not stingrays, FFS.
Posted by: Hilly | Wednesday, 13 September 2006 at 04:13 PM
idiots.
I'm living in hunting and fishing heaven... which is hard for an animal rights activist like me. sigh.
Posted by: Bre | Wednesday, 13 September 2006 at 04:56 PM
Sigh...the sad thing is I was expecting things like this when I heard he died. The human race never fails to shock me with its boneheaded moves. I do hope his widow puts out some sort of statement to curb this senseless violence.
Posted by: francesdanger | Wednesday, 13 September 2006 at 06:41 PM
Dustin, nope, not kidding. And I'm surprised Treadwell didn't inspire some of this.
Jill, oh fine, be that way.
Bec, sadly no.
Hilly, few people ever use their energy for the good of the world.
Bre, it must be hard. Sorry to hear.
francesdanger, I was expecting it too. I hoped I was wrong, but I wasn't.
Posted by: kapgar | Wednesday, 13 September 2006 at 06:54 PM
it is sad that our fellow humans ARE that vicious and idiotic. we have to find some peace in the fact that we aren't ALL like that. just look at your commenters.
isn't that title an aimee mann song? :)
Posted by: ms. sizzle | Wednesday, 13 September 2006 at 07:18 PM
I am glad that everyone seems to be in agreement so far. It's very reassuring.
Nope, it's the Lemonheads.
Posted by: kapgar | Wednesday, 13 September 2006 at 07:21 PM
This is almost beyond belief. The levels of utter stupidity to which the human race can sink are astounding. I've also petted and photographed rays (on a much smaller scale), and they are my personal favorite ocean-dweller. Whoever is murdering them in the name of vengeance has the intelligence and sensitivity of a petrified turd.
Sometimes I think VIKI in I, Robot had the right idea.
Posted by: SJ | Thursday, 14 September 2006 at 07:36 AM
And now they are making a movie about the Marvel character Sub-Mariner.
Coincidence? I think not...
Posted by: BA | Thursday, 14 September 2006 at 08:08 AM
Wow, I hadn't read that or seen that anywhere. This world is full of selfish heartless people. I suppose that they did it only to see if the story would make headlines, and not in defense of Steve. How sad and pathetic.
Posted by: Jacquie | Thursday, 14 September 2006 at 08:22 AM
Sorry to say that there are some folks around who are that ignorant. Really quite sad.
Posted by: Dagny | Thursday, 14 September 2006 at 08:39 AM
SJ, you'll have to remind me what VIKI said. I watched the movie and zoned out.
BA, one of the most unknown of Marvel characters gets a movie? Why not a quality character like Black Cat or Dr. Strange?
Jacquie, I don't think it was either. Not for headlines, not in defense of Steve. It was just calculated, cold-blooded vengeance. That's how pathetically I view them.
Dagny, incredibly sad.
Posted by: kapgar | Thursday, 14 September 2006 at 08:45 AM
You have more faith in humanity than I do. People show their ignorance countless times every day. No doubt it's at play with these senseless killings, too.
Posted by: Karl | Thursday, 14 September 2006 at 10:14 AM
i know i'm just repeating all the previous comments,,, but,,, omg how horrendous! Obviously these "fans" didn't understand what "Mr Crikey" was all about. This piece of news once again restores my lack of faith in humanity :p yay world! :p
Posted by: *lynne* | Thursday, 14 September 2006 at 11:20 AM
Bravo, dude, bravo!!!! Well put. I really wanted to write about this, but didn't know how to do it without cursing and spitting anger.
That's a really nice pic you posted of swimming with the stingrays.
Posted by: Eve | Thursday, 14 September 2006 at 11:21 AM
Karl, typically I don't. But I really hoped my fear would be unfounded. Humanity has, though, found yet another way to let me down.
lynne, I agree. It is definitely not what he was all about. How could any of them even come close to thinking he would approve?
Eve, yeah I did enough cursing and spitting anger for the both of us, didn't I? Thanks on the pic. No reason you can't still blog about this. It's important enough to warrant the exposure.
Posted by: kapgar | Thursday, 14 September 2006 at 11:56 AM
I have done the swim with the sting rays too. It was awful. You couldn't pay me to do it ever again. EWWW! All those floating things brushing against you, trying to suck on your legs... YUK!
But I still wouldn't kill one.
Posted by: Allison | Thursday, 14 September 2006 at 01:58 PM
At first I thought you were joking. I don't find the people who did this as stupid, but scary -- like a lynch mob attacking a family for someone else's "crime."
Posted by: Neil | Thursday, 14 September 2006 at 07:50 PM
VIKI was the central computer that controlled all the robots. She justified reprogramming them to take over because the human race was too violent and self-destructive to be trusted with their own future.
Posted by: SJ | Thursday, 14 September 2006 at 08:31 PM
Allison, they never once tried to suck my legs. Only if you had your hand under there, palm up, with food in it did they come anywhere near you in that regard. Otherwise, they just swam.
Neil, I will grant you scary. In the sense that they actually exist. But stupid does play in there as well in terms of logic. Or lack thereof...
SJ, ahhhh, okay. Gotcha. And, in this case, I might agree that it's deserved.
Posted by: kapgar | Friday, 15 September 2006 at 06:43 AM