Russell S i m m o n s February 5 ,
2014
Dear AmbassadorKennedy, W e , the u n d e r s i g n e d , a s k y o u to p e r s o n a l l y deliver t hi s petition to P r e s i d e n t B a r a c k O b a m a u r g i n g h i m to N O T s i g n the T r a n s - P a c i f i c P a r t n e r s h i p ( T P P ) until J a p a n b a n s the slaughter a n d capture of Dolphins i n Taiji. F o l l o w i n g the graphic news reports o n January 17th that five pods of Bottlenose dolphins w e r e d r i v e n i n t o Taiji's i n f a m o u s killing cove, leaving 40 slaughtered a n d 51 captured, people w a t c h i n g f r o m a r o u n d the w o r l d were left heartbroken. I n the wake of this massacre, thousands expressed their gratitude to y o u for expressing y o u r opposition to these killings a n d captures o n social m e d i a . W e j o i n t h e m i n gratitude for your concern for the dolphins of Japan. Images of the panicked Bottlenose (more t h a n 250 i n total-including a very rare white c a l f w h o m a y b e b l i n d a n d / o r d e a f ) b r o k e t h e h e a r t s o f m i l l i o n s , as t h e y w a t c h e d t h e live-streamed coverage, or viewed photographs taken by those present d u r i n g the drive hunt. T h e widely-shared video documenting terrified families of dolphins clinging t o g e t h e r as T a i j i fisherman r a n t h e m over w i t h their boats, cordoned t h e m off w i t h nets, a n d d r o v e t h e m t o w a r d s the k i l l i n g cove, has sparked a n i n t e r n a t i o n a l o u t c r y to end this brutality. Since the start of this Taiji drive h u n t season o n September 1, 2013, over 600 dolphins h a v e b e e n s l a u g h t e r e d , a n d o v e r 149 w e r e t a k e n captive, slated t o live lonely, d e g r a d i n g , p s y c h o s i s - i n d u c i n g l i v e s a n a l o g o u s t o e n s l a v e m e n t at a m u s e m e n t p a r k s , as c h r o n i c l e d i n t h e film " B l a c k f i s h " . T h e d r i v e h u n t a n d s l a u g h t e r o f 2 0 , 0 0 0 d o l p h i n s , p o r p o i s e s a n d s m a l l w h a l e s t h a t o c c u r s t h r o u g h o u t J a p a n e a c h y e a r is J a p a n ' s s h a m e . T h e s e b a r b a r i c drives, t h a t b e g a n i n 1969, m u s t be stopped i m m e d i a t e l y . W e , the undersigned, are n o t u s i n g this p e t i t i o n to assert a position i n regards to the T P P , rather w e are u n d e r s c o r i n g that y o u r i n f l u e n t i a l voice i n defense o f the d o l p h i n s o f J a p a n is i n s t r u m e n t a l i n e x p r e s s i n g t o t h e W h i t e H o u s e t h e i m p o r t a n c e o f m a k i n g their slaughter a n d captive trade a key factor i n the negotiations ahead. Corporations have spent the past t w o years m a r k i n g - u p the language o f the T P P to serve their