PETA Lawsuit Names Five Orcas as Plaintiffs

Do we really want the ocean's smartest predators to have the same constitutional rights as humans?

PETA has filed a lawsuit against SeaWorld in which it names five orca whales as plaintiffs in an attempt to have the marine mammals protected by the U.S. Constitution. PETA, which is probably more known for questionable ad campaigns these days than actually helping animals, claims that Tilikum, Katina, Kasatka, Corky, and Ulises have been kept as slaves since being captured in the wild, a breach of the 13th amendment. SeaWorld's lawyers have argued that whales aren't protected by the constitution, as its preamble clearly states "We, the people of the United States" and not "We, the humans and giant-fish-like-things-that-would-probably-kill-us-all-if-they-had-the-chance of the United States." The lawsuit reportedly marks the first time that a U.S. judge has been asked to consider if animals ought to be protected by the constitution. And while we're all for legal recourse against inhumane conditions for animals in captivity, it's probably worth pointing out to PETA that if orcas are declared to be covered by the constitution, then Tilikum might end up facing murder charges for drowning trainers at two different SeaWorlds over the past two decades.