Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Hawaiian Monk Seal? Call Your Legislator TODAY!

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Hawaiian Monk Seal? Call Your Legislator TODAY!

    Most of you know me. I'm a pretty relaxed guy, not very passionate, pretty apathetic when it comes to most political causes. I try to stick to the fluffier topics on HT, and never tell people what to do or think.

    But something has lit a fire under my butt, and I've got to say something. Senate Bill 2464 and House Bill 2626 would establish the Hawaiian Monk Seal as the official State Mammal of the state of Hawaii. While I'm completely in favor of preserving the species, as these bills are designed to encourage, I must urge you all not to support the passage of these bills into law, designating the seal as the official State Mammal.

    First, we already have a State Marine Mammal: The humpback whale. These graceful, beautiful creatures which sing their songs and slap their tails upon the water not only bring valuable tourist dollars to Hawaii, but they prevent the destruction of the earth by gigantic, black, one-testicled space-salamis. So not only are they tasty, but they provide for the common defense, just as our founding fathers suggested all Americans must do. Establishing the Hawaiian monk seal as the State Mammal would place it in a position higher and more revered than that of the humpback, especially since both are marine mammals! The passage of this one act into law will immediately UNDO the legislation that declared the humpback our official state marine mammal!

    One marine mammal can't be our official marine mammal while another marine mammal is the official mammal! Can't anyone see what this will do to the order of things? It just doesn't make sense!

    Okay, second: The Hawaiian monk seal, while worth preserving, is not the kind of model mammal we want our children looking up to! What does a monk seal do but lie upon the beach all day demanding to be left alone? Yes, the monk seal is exactly the kind of itinerant, derelict, homeless beach-squatter we can't seem to get Waianae-coast beaches rid of, no matter how many bulldozers we bring in or how many shacks we push over. Monk seals cost us resources because whenever they take up residence upon a beach, we must cordon off the area with yellow "crime scene" tape, and volunteers must keep an eye on the seals 'round the clock to make sure they don't break into neighboring houses and steal sardines or cans of tuna, or plastic soda-can rings, which I hear they're quite fond of munching on. This blockade of the beach areas surrounding a dozing seal also takes away beach access, which the Declaration of Independence, the Bible, and the Star-Spangled Banner guarantee us as citizens of Hawaii Nei.

    I ask you: What kind of message does this send to the children?

    And have you been close enough to a monk seal to smell it? I assure you, if all its other habits weren't enough to keep you off the lovely sandy beaches of Hawaii, the smell alone would do it.

    Bad smells equal bad tourism.

    If you never communicate with your state lawmakers, I beseech you to do it now. Get your elected leaders on the phone and tell them to prevent this miscarriage of government BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE! VOTE NO ON SB2464 and HB2626!!!!!!!!
    Last edited by scrivener; February 6, 2008, 10:34 PM.
    But I'm disturbed! I'm depressed! I'm inadequate! I GOT IT ALL! (George Costanza)
    GrouchyTeacher.com

  • #2
    Re: Call Your Legislator TODAY! Reject SB2464 and HB2626!!!

    You better send that above post to testimony@capitol.hawaii.gov and address it to the proper committees upon where the bills will be heard.
    I'm still here. Are you?

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Call Your Legislator TODAY! Reject SB2464 and HB2626!!!

      Must admit... it doesn't make sense.
      So how about making it the Marine Mammal for the "Northwestern Hawaiian Islands"?
      They (Monk seals) hang out there more anyways, and it's a "National Monument".
      http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Bush_pro...ional_Monument
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northwe...waiian_Islands

      Wot'chu tink o dat?
      Life is either an adventure... or you're not doing it right!!!

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Call Your Legislator TODAY! Reject SB2464 and HB2626!!!

        As a suggestion, have the Monk Seal be the State Mammal as opposed to being the State Marine Mammal. That way the Humpback Whale can still be the State Marine Mammal while the Monk Seal can just be the State Mammal since it can live on either land or in the ocean.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Call Your Legislator TODAY! Reject SB2464 and HB2626!!!

          Originally posted by helen View Post
          As a suggestion, have the Monk Seal be the State Mammal as opposed to being the State Marine Mammal. That way the Humpback Whale can still be the State Marine Mammal while the Monk Seal can just be the State Mammal since it can live on either land or in the ocean.
          Not a bad compromise, if I may say so myself.

          One fact about the Hawaiian Monk Seal that has been completely overlooked in this discussion: It is a species that is endemic to the Hawn. islands. In other words, it is unique to Hawaii and is found nowhere else in the world. This fact alone makes the case for the HMS being a state mammal a very strong one, indeed.

          In the meantime, while the Humpback Whale is considered indigenous to Hawaii, it is not unique and can be found in other regions.

          Whatever one may think of the Hawn. Monk Seal, good or bad, the fact is that they are endangered. If making them a symbol of this state raises awareness about the plight of this unique mammal, I'm in favor of it.

          Why should one mammal be honored and the other one get shafted? Hopefully, the powers-that-be will think outside the box and find a way to recognize both of these species.
          This post may contain an opinion that may conflict with your opinion. Do not take it personal. Polite discussion of difference of opinion is welcome.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Call Your Legislator TODAY! Reject SB2464 and HB2626!!!

            I say we keep the humpback as the state marine mammal and adopt the Hawaiian monk seal as the official state seal.

            There, all better!
            Make trouble, have fun, do good stuffs.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Call Your Legislator TODAY! Reject SB2464 and HB2626!!!

              Originally posted by zztype View Post
              I say we ... adopt the Hawaiian monk seal as the official state seal.
              That suggestion gets my seal of approval.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Call Your Legislator TODAY! Reject SB2464 and HB2626!!!

                I think we should be able to hunt turtles again, in season, of course. Damned critters are overpopulated as it is and are eating all the limu. Their only predators are sharks and humans. We need to do our part.

                pax

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Hawaiian Monk Seal? Call Your Legislator TODAY!

                  Originally posted by scrivener View Post
                  Yes, the monk seal is exactly the kind of itinerant, derelict, homeless beach-squatter we can't seem to get Waianae-coast beaches rid of, no matter how many bulldozers we bring in or how many shacks we push over. [...] I ask you: What kind of message does this send to the children?
                  Charles Memminger, is that you?

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Hawaiian Monk Seal? Call Your Legislator TODAY!

                    Originally posted by zztype View Post
                    I say we keep the humpback as the state marine mammal and adopt the Hawaiian monk seal as the official state seal.
                    Originally posted by Leo Lakio View Post
                    That suggestion gets my seal of approval.
                    And there could be an official song for the new state mammal: a remake of the classic Bob Hope song, now retitled "Thanks For The Mammalies", sung by Heidi Klum's husband... Seal.
                    Last edited by LikaNui; February 7, 2008, 07:42 AM.
                    .
                    .

                    That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Hawaiian Monk Seal? Call Your Legislator TODAY!

                      I was chased off the beach at Chun's Reef by a Monk Seal while I was fishing out there late at night. I was THIS close to having a Monk Seal BBQ.

                      So what would be other choices for the state mammal ? The wild pig, those goats on the other Island, those kangaroos living up in the mountains, Pit Bulls ?

                      My vote would be for those kangaroos or wallaby's, whatever they are.

                      We could change the UH team names to the UH Warrior Roos.

                      DD
                      www.myspace.com/chrislunainstrumentals

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Hawaiian Monk Seal? Call Your Legislator TODAY!

                        I didn't check any references but if my slow access memory sort of remembers that a certain species of bat is the state mammal.

                        Then again is there anything wrong with having two state mammals?

                        On the other hand if the Hawaiian Monk Seal is made the State Marine Mammal, it does not mean it's hunting season for the Humpback Whale.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Hawaiian Monk Seal? Call Your Legislator TODAY!

                          Helen, you don't understand. You can't name the monk seal the state mammal and then pretend that the humpback's "state marine mammal" still has meaning, because the monk seal is a marine mammal!

                          It's like calling Star Trek IV the best science-fiction movie of all time, and then a few years later naming Star Wars the best movie of all time. Well heck: If Star Wars, a science-fiction film, is the best film of all time, how can Star Trek IV still be the best science-fiction film of all time?
                          But I'm disturbed! I'm depressed! I'm inadequate! I GOT IT ALL! (George Costanza)
                          GrouchyTeacher.com

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Hawaiian Monk Seal? Call Your Legislator TODAY!

                            Originally posted by scrivener View Post
                            If Star Wars, a science-fiction film, is the best film of all time, how can Star Trek IV still be the best science-fiction film of all time?
                            If Herbie Hancock's "River," a jazz album, wins the Grammy for Album of the Year this time out, can something else still win for Jazz Album of the Year?

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Hawaiian Monk Seal? Call Your Legislator TODAY!

                              Of course one CAN, but it SHOULDN'T. I'm not sure, but I remember looking at the album-of-the-year winners in the past and verifying that each was a winner in its own category. I wasn't too diligent about it, though.
                              But I'm disturbed! I'm depressed! I'm inadequate! I GOT IT ALL! (George Costanza)
                              GrouchyTeacher.com

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X