Of Shark and Men

Ed Abbey once said, "If people persist in trespassing upon the grizzlies' territory, we must accept the fact that the grizzlies, from time to time, will harvest a few trespassers." And so it goes in the vast blue sea....

A fatal shark attack occurred this morning in Solana Beach, California. This initially caught my ear, because I've surfed there on a few occasions. I glanced over at that square box that seems to control the majority of americans minds (you know the television), and I was immediately horrified.

The beach patrol and the coast guard were flying up and down the coast looking for "the" shark that killed a human. Sharks must be the latest threat to homeland security...perhaps it was an Al-Ki-eda shark? Beaches were closed for a 17-mile stretch. People were not allowed to enter the water and in some areas, not allowed to walk onto the beach.

The horror I initially felt was not for the victim (yes, I do feel for his family and friends); instead it was for this majestic creature that some ignorant human will most likely hunt down and slaughter. The sad thing is that many sharks will probably be assumed to be "the" shark, and they will all be killed.

It saddens me that we are so far removed from the fact that we are animals, and that we can't accept when a more worthy predator gets a less agile prey. It's the way nature rolls....I'll take a natural passing to a steel coffin any day.

May the force be with the shark....I guess maybe the lineup will be a little less crowded tonight.

Look, listen, feel,
Ostrich