Japanese open fire on Sea Shepherd crew

[Diver Dennis]

Someone will get killed before this is over. It looked like the metal in the vest may have been a piece of one of the "flash bangs".

I agree with you almity, I hate the whalers but the tactics of some of the anti-whalers is over the top in my opinion.

 

[Tigerman]

One thing is that its unacceptable to kill humans to be able to hunt whales, but at the same time, when you go and deliberately escalate a conflict like captain lonneytunes and his crew keep doing what the hell do you expect? An invitation for tea and cookies?
Get real, if you run around asking people to shoot you, sooner or later they will.

As far as what kind of weapon he was shot by, that does not look like a less-than-lethal weapon but a handgun round.
If its actually a rifle round id say captain looneytunes is 1 step away from a darwin award.

The fact that he dress up in kevlar before doing his "protests" speak volumes about how DUMB he is engaging in these kind of activities. Would suck to be him if that round didnt hit the vest but his head or his neck. Then again, hed probably consider it a success to be killed in an incident like this. The whalers clearly have no intention of stopping and captain lonneytunes and his crew dont seem to intend to stop standing in their way, so unless something comes between the two sides its a matter of time before someone get killed..

 

[Scubakevdm]

I'm anti-whaling, but I think I'd like to see what a responible journalist has to say about the incident. The whole "captain was miraculously saved by his anti-poaching badge" seems a bit over the top to me.

 

[TSherman]

I will preface this statement with "I will never support anyone who kills animals that will not use them in their entirety and develops a respect for what he has killed."

That being said, that was not bullet. If you have ever been shot with, or without a vest you would never say....wow I may have been shot. You sure as hell would know it. Secondly, if that was a Japenese conservation crew "attacking" (by that I mean firing an unknown object at a Japanese national vessel) The US Navy/Coast Guard has damn well better protect the lawful actions of a US vessel.

Many of these conservation groups push the limits. People will be hurt. If I am the Captain of an armed vessel and something is lauched at my vessel you best be wearing a little more than that half assed vest!

I am a big supporter of the North Carolina Sand Tigers. I would never put my boat, nor my crew in danger to stop a fishing vessel. This is reckless and in poor judgement as a Captain. There are ways and means to deal with this assault on marine life. You may as well mount .50's and arm your crew when you head out on your "peaceful demonstrations".

Act smart, otherwise you are no better than the precious animals you try and protect.

 

[Tigerman]

How bad the impact of a gunshot is going to be on a vest depends a lot on range, caliber, load and weapon you get shot by as well as of course how your adrenaline rush is at the time.
If they actually threw flash grenades they shouldnt really shrapnel pieces into a vest like that..

 

[james croft]

Flash bangs will not throw shrapnel. Sometimes it can cause some crap to get knocked around like if it landed on a gravel road you may get stung by the gravel or sand but nothing that would embed in kevlar.

 

[cdreamer]

I'm anti-whaling, but I think I'd like to see what a responible journalist has to say about the incident. The whole "captain was miraculously saved by his anti-poaching badge" seems a bit over the top to me.

A camerawoman from Animal Planet was also injured in this attack.
Would you consider her to be a responsible journalist?

 

[cdreamer]

Sea Shepherd has had an independent film crew onboard, filming on behalf of Animal Planet, since the beginning of the campaign. In a statement issued today from Silver Springs, Maryland, the network said: “The events that have taken place were all captured by Animal Planet's producers and will be presented through the documentary series WHALE WARS, slated for U.S. broadcast this fall. Animal Planet is thankful that all parties to these conflicts over the last three months to-date are safe and unharmed. The network will showcase these events with a strong journalistic lens that spotlights this global conservation issue that has several nations at odds over the practice of whaling in oceanic territories.”

 

[fisherdvm]

When you mess with big money, you put your life on the line. You can't trust the Japanese government, the US government, nor any government - democracy or not. Not to be pessimistic ... It is the fact of life.

 

[Scubakevdm]

A camerawoman from Animal Planet was also injured in this attack.
Would you consider her to be a responsible journalist?

I would consider the source more credible than the webpage that you linked to, but less credible than a segment by 60 minutes. I'm sorry, this isn't a personal attack, the information just doesnt seem to be presented very objectively, and historically there have been heavy spins put on the facts by groups such as this, who by my perspective, go out and provoke their adversaries until something happens and then cry out to the world about the injustice of the provoked response. It seems like a pretty transparant publicity tactic, but I'm looking forward to hearing what Mike Wallace has to say about it. Please don't fling butter at me... I'm just being honest here.