Whale MEAT!? !!!!!!!!!!! *the horror!*
I love virtual villagers. So much I bought it for my sister and was about to buy it for my mother - but after a disturbing discovery of my villager liking whale meat, I've changed my mind. This might be innocent and it might not be, but as a member of
[*]null[*]A network of protected areas for our oceans00]Greenpeace - I can't do it.

I'd like to know who thought it would be funny/smart/good to put this into our game! I'm so torn between the love of my village/game and my love for these most precious creatures. They're important to the survival of the planet. I hear rumors of a 3rd VV - if it isn't already out. As a favor to Mother Earth, the Whales and the planet - don't put that as a "like or dislike", please.


DID YOU KNOW:
Copied directly from Greenpeace:
"As the International Whaling Commission begins its meetings in Anchorage, Alaska, a stark reminder of what's at stake: 17 dead whales and dolphins from across Europe are displayed in Germany.

While politicians and bureaucrats talk, activists in Germany presented evidence of environmental crime at the Brandenburg Gate.

They set out 17 dead whales and dolphins, which were collected in the last weeks along European coasts. Why 17? It's the number of dolphins and whales that die every 30 minutes all year round in our oceans, mainly due to bycatch.

This grisly fact underscores the need for four things:

New thinking in fisheries policy in order to minimize bycatch

• A network of protected areas for our oceans
• The International Whaling Commission meeting next week in Alaska needs to deal with all threats to all species of whales and dolphins. In some cases, even governments that support whale conservation at the IWC turn a blind eye to whale deaths being caused by their own policies.
• Maintenance of the moratorium on commercial whaling to counter the wider environmental pressure on these animals and our oceans

If you're opposed to whaling and want to save the planet go to greenpeace.com and find out how you can help SAVE THE WORLD.

I don't think anybody's saying that we should go out and take up eating whale meat for ourselves. The villagers are basically primitive islanders, for whom food has to come from wherever they can get it. To me, yes, it seems reasonable that one of them might like whale meat, and not at all offensive, no moreso than that a woman of a certain time period might have worn whalebone corsets or used whale oil in her lamps.

I am a conservist myself I also own a farm where I take in strays to adopt out I also have a problem with this "like" ...

But I also understand the fact that it is just a game...

Did you know that the Inuet tribes are ALLOWED to hunt and eat whale?

They have custome as a Native American should. For far too long we Native Americans have been oppressed and our customs deemed barbaric! I found this artical from Petitionit.com:

The inuet have to also be on our side to stop the Hunt on polar bears, but they DO have a legitimate custom and history of hunting, right or wrong is not the point, they will object to anything preventing them from using the bear for food,fur,money... when someting is required for your survival - you fight to keep it, these people will need adequate compensation, if they are also to come over on the side of conservationists.
I HATE the thought of any of these beautiful creatures being killed whatever the reason - so don't misunderstand me - but the Inuet should be compensated.


I think Greenpeace should help the endangered Native American too LOL We are few and far between because of atrocities to our people and culture!

I am proud to be an Native American!

No animals harmed in that game , they are fictitious people in the game by the old age.

And you can!!
The Native people of America are known to be those that have the best respect of the nature!!

I never once said native american's shouldn't be allowed to hunt whales. Nor did I say that these are real people. I did say that I think it shouldn't be there because - first - they're not hunting whales are they? They're fishing. And second, it appears that "whale hunting" is ok. When it isn't, not on a commercial level. The amount of whales used for meat by a tribe is far less significant than what I'm talking about. And having a native american background myself I know the difference between respecting life and slaughter for profit. I'm not asking anyone to accept my point of view. I'm just very disappointed that VV2 has "whale meat" in it, when obviously they're not hunting them.

(PS - Lets not pull out a race card on who is Native American, who is not. This *OPINION* never pointed fingers at ANY race)

Here's what I don't understand. You object to a line of text in a game where the subject of the text is never even seen. They don't fish for whales nor do they even eat whale meat in the game. The game in no way encourages commercial whaling. If the villagers were Inuit or if one of their likes said seal meat, would you have the same issues with it?

You didn't read my previous response did you?

Yes, I did. I didn't mention Inuits to play a race card, by any means, only as an example of people who respectfully use what nature provides. The game doesn't seem to imply that whaling is right or wrong, only that there are cultures and people who like whale meat. The fact that it's mentioned in the game can even be used to help kids learn more about other cultures and conservation.

Apart from the mention in the likes/dislikes of a villager, the only other mention of whales is in VV1, where an event has the villagers finding a dead whale on the beach and you are given the choice of their eating its meat or leaving it to rot. Somehow I doubt that whales form a staple part if the islanders' diet.

And I thought you were given the choice of either trying to save the whale or letting it die...

You are correct, Charley. There is a trapped whale on the beach, time is running out, and you are given the choice between freeing the trapped whale or using it for food. I always free it.

It's that I have posted to Antiragweed in PM with the spoiler (he/she? doesn't have VV1) for freeing the trapped whale. But I was unable to tell what happens when you eat the whale, I never choose this answer!

SHE! Antiragweed be a she!! lolol

OK!!

I did not have a choice in it my villagers were starving!!! I chose eat the whale...I got 2000 food thoug and saved my babies!

it's what I thought! it coud be helpful!

Off-topic: I always liked how choosing to save the whale in that event gained a free level of Spirituality.

On-topic: This game in no way condones the killing of whales at all. The 'likes whale meat' is nothing more than a phrase randomly generated by a line of code. You can be offended if you want, but before you run around complaining try to remember that IT'S JUST A GAME.