The topic at hand is with whales.  More specifically, with the captivity, hunting, and death that they face daily.  Why is it wrong to treat whales this way?  I've always been fascinated with whales and marine animals in general.  Dolphins are my favorite animal actually and they are closely related to whales.  Similar to most people, I've been to different aquariums as a kid, but never a performance at places like SeaWorld. 

This topic is interesting to me because I've never thought about what's happening to whales as a problem.  I had never looked into it.  SeaWorld was always a place that seemed fun and countries that kill whales were only doing it for food, so it was okay.  At least, that's what I had thought.  I feel credible because I didn't have a side going into the research, I was neutral.  After researching, I learned that there's a difference in killing animals humanely versus inhumanely.  There's a similar difference in zoos and places like SeaWorld where the animals are coerced to perform.  Whales are an endangered and a protected species as well, and yet these things are still happening to them.  After beginning my research, I personally think that treating animals in this way is wrong, let alone animals that are so similar to humans in their brain capacity and emotional intelligence.

One source I used is from the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) website.  They claimed that hunting whales is cruel and the excuses countries have been using to continue this process are invalid.  The article walks the reader through the killing process.  It also focuses on why this is inhumane, citing someone who has been on the expedition.  The article then shifts the focus to the reasons behind these killings, claiming it's for scientific research and disproves it by talking about the new scientific advances that prove we don't need to kill whales to learn about them.  The organization that published this article is for animal rights, therefore it values the lives of whales and the humane treatment of them.  This source is credible as it cites information and is an organization that has researched these problems and knows what they're talking about.  However, it is a biased source because the organization advocates for the rights of animals and clearly whales as well.   

Another source I used was a pdf that focused more on the effects of captivity on whales.  It compares the lives of whales in the wild versus those in captivity.  Whales in captivity face harsher and more narrowed conditions than what they experience in the wild.  Their life-expectancy is noticeably shorter.  The source also focuses on the myths marine parks tell.  The interest of this article is on whales in captivity and why they think it should stop.  The author only wants better conditions for whales.  This report is written for the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS), so it's biased right from the start.  The society advocates for the rights of whales, comparable to my last source.  This source is one-sided, but it is credible in that it's an organization that has done research and uses facts.  

The last source I used is an article published on the SeaWorldofHurt website.  The article's purpose is to prove that keeping whales in captivity is against their nature.  It specifically talks about a whale named Tilikum, who was the largest whale in captivity, and three different violent attacks he had on humans throughout his captivity.  The article compares the behavior of whales in captivity versus the wild.  The author simply wants whales to not be held in captivity.  It is a biased article in that the organization that published it is against whale captivity and that is obvious in the organization's name.  It doesn't mention the opposition and is only focused on their argument.  However, the author is credible because it discusses recent events that people are probably already aware of.  It then discusses facts and the events, giving a more in-depth analysis of them.  They are credible, but extremely biased.  

The problem with whales is controversial.  People think it's wrong because of the inhumane treatment of an endangered species and other people think it's right because they're just another animal used as a food source and monetary gain.  There really aren't any agreements on this topic.  There are disagreements about the methods of killing whales, killing in the first place, the effects of captivity, and some other issues.  These different perspectives don't change my view.  I think that people who are for this treatment of whales are merely uniformed and ignorant.  In order to meet the length of the paper, I need to make sure I keep it general and focus on the overall treatment of whales as opposed to only the killings or captivity.

