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COMPASSION: WHAT'S BEHIND THE CURTAIN 

1/30/2015

16 Comments

 

Compassion: What's Behind the Curtain

 "Earlier this month, I led and spoke at a massive march for Lolita's freedom that has now made international headlines. People now understand her plight, realizing that it is unacceptable to kidnap and enslave a sentient being for the sake of entertainment."
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Deafening music blasted my ears like bombs. Walls trapped me inside. My family was over 3,000 miles away. I felt lost and confused. Quivering, I turned my head towards Lolita, a killer whale held captive at the Miami Seaquarium. Over 44 years ago, she was kidnapped and forced to perform demeaning tricks for the rest of her life. People flocked to the theme park, oohing and aahing as she leaped into the air and drenched them with water. Not once did they notice the agony Lolita felt when her captors tore her from her mother's side; not once did they notice the sorrow she felt when Hugo, her tank-mate and pod-mate, bashed his head against the side of the tank and bled to death; not once did they notice the loneliness she felt while somehow surviving alone in an illegally sized tank; people only cared about entertainment. I trembled and wiped a tear from my face, glaring at the people next to me. Why am I the only one here who understands? I thought. Why am I the only one who feels her pain?
            
Throughout my entire life, I have always been able to read other people’s emotions with the nagging desire to help them through the turbulent times in life. I am compassionate; I "feel and show sympathy and concern for others." Without this characteristic, my life would not have meaning. I would not understand the cruelty of slavery, of bullying, of animal abuse. I would not be an activist. Without compassion, we are empty pieces of skin and bone that fail to empathize with, care for, and understand others.
            
But there is a difference between understanding someone and being compassionate. Understanding, or recognizing someone's pain and forgiving their mistakes, is an element of compassion. But empaths take this knowledge a step farther. They not only recognize someone’s pain but also help them push through it.
            
It is for this reason that the synonym pity does not work. The word has a negative connotation in society, implying that the one pitied is weak and helpless. This devalues life and the purpose of existence; nobody is weak and no one is helpless. Compassionate people use their empathetic abilities to guide and encourage others through their struggles - not because they think someone is weak, but because they are nurturing and altruistic.
            
I do not pity Lolita. Despite all that she's endured, she has remained courageous and kind. Her perseverance guided me out of a depression in the ninth grade and made me realize that life isn't about waiting for the pain and misery to end, but about learning how to find love and grace in spite of them. Pitying Lolita would be an insult to her strength, making it seem like her suffering was in vain. How could someone call themselves compassionate while making someone else feel worthless? How could someone call themselves compassionate when they sit back as that person stumbles and falls?
            
I cared too much to sit back while Lolita and other animals were suffering. So I dedicated my time to animal rights, fighting tirelessly to make people realize that animals possess emotions similar to our own. At first, I thought that my efforts were futile. But over the past five years, I volunteered in Costa Rica to protect sea turtles from poachers, I appeared on national television to denounce the use of cetaceans for entertainment, and I became a youth ambassador for many well-known organizations.
            
Earlier this month, I led and spoke at a massive march for Lolita's freedom that has now made international headlines. People now understand her plight, realizing that it is unacceptable to kidnap and enslave a sentient being for the sake of entertainment.
            
Compassionate people ignite change. Lolita could have killed the people who captured her or attacked her trainers, but would that really solve the problem? What lesson would we learn? We would only fear cetaceans and our connection with them would be destroyed even more. Cetaceans are a bridge to the natural world with their powerful and relatable intelligence. Through her compassion, Lolita helped us rebuild that bridge and ignited the largest march ever for a captive cetacean.
            
I visited Lolita’s prison, wanting to see her and gather footage for a short film I’m making about the inspiration of her story. She swam towards me after the last show as I stepped up to the tank. All of the other people turned their backs and left the stadium; we were alone. I felt her pain, I felt her loneliness, but I also felt her strength and love. I cried again, this time out of joy. The day before, over 1000 people from all over the world marched for her freedom. People, organizations, and companies put their egos aside to make it happen because they were compassionate.
            
I whispered to Lolita that people are learning, that I love her, that she is not alone, that she'll soon reunite with her family (who is located and well-studied), and that her suffering has not been in vain. She spun towards me, looked me straight in the eye, and shook her head as if she was nodding.  Another tear fell to the ground. The security guards ordered me to leave and I reluctantly complied.  But compassion transcends borders, race, species, time, and other false dualities. It is universal. No matter how large the gap, I will always be with Lolita and hold her in my heart.

16 Comments
Robin Jewell Roberts
1/30/2015 16:55:30

Honored to have Zach Affolter on our team to bring the Miracle March for Lolita to a reality. It would not have been as successful without him. This young man is going to move mountains!

Reply
Zach Affolter
1/31/2015 09:25:18

And thank you Robin for creating the event and future ones! We will empty the tanks one by one once and for all!

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Klara Sabova link
1/30/2015 18:07:04

she deserves to go free!!!! Let her finally swim free and die free!!! She made a lots of money already!!!its just disgusting...what for she is slave??? Because of her be

Reply
Vicki Kunkel
1/31/2015 08:28:46

Thank you for all that you do Zach! Let's continue on and make her freedom a reality!!!!

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Julie Graham
1/31/2015 08:34:49

Zac you are an amazing, compassionate young man. I was fortunate to meet you at the Miracle March For Lolita, we talked on the beach and I told you that you would be the next Ric O'Barry or Paul Watson. You are wise beyond your years and this article you have written is a testimony to that. While we were on the beach after the march and rally in Miami with Robbyne and other we shared a magical moment when we saw some dolphins swimming by, we were all smiling and were so happy to see them. Maybe it was a message of hope that someday Lolita will be like them swimming free in the ocean!. It's an honor fighting the same fight with you Zac, we will never give up and never be silent! .

Reply
Zach Affolter
1/31/2015 09:20:17

Thanks Julie, I remember seeing those dolphins from the beach! It was definitely symbolic and I have faith Lolita will swim home one day soon <3 <3 <3 We will not stop fighting until it happens!

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Theresa Bass
1/31/2015 08:53:36

The order of the universe is precise. To the fish in the ocean the animals on land to the planet's in our universe. Their is no mistakes why we are here. So let's right this mistake that man has created to set the order of this universe correct! All fish species belong in the ocean! We need to get this right! #freelolita

Reply
Zach Affolter
1/31/2015 09:22:29

Everything happens for a reason and the universe is realigning in many different microcosms...I think that Lolita's release will impact them all and make the world a better place for not only dolphins and whales but the entire world and universe <3

Reply
Lily Adams
1/31/2015 09:18:47

Sending many blessings to you. Thank you for your strength and dedication. Because of you, I now know about Lolita and that message has been sent to others. I try to visualize Lolita's trip from Miami to Puget Sound. I believe we all can make it happen. Sending blessings to Lolita as well.

Reply
Zach Affolter
1/31/2015 09:23:52

It will happen! I have had dreams and visions about it many times. She has remained so strong and if she is retired then it will deliver a devastating blow against captivity.

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Kelly Bergeron
1/31/2015 12:17:56

Zach you are such an inspiration! I wept as I read what you have written about compassion, I wish everyone in the world could see this as you do...as we all do. Thank you for being awesome!

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Barb Schmidt
1/31/2015 13:01:07

Awesome article. From the heart..She will be free, I know it too. And you made me look at her in an all new light...your paragraph on not pitying her ..awesome. OMG how incredible and loving that she turned connected with you. That says so much. Thank you for this article. Its wonderful

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April harness
1/31/2015 15:09:45

I'm sitting here, literally without words..I just love your passion

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Bonnie
2/1/2015 00:38:27

Great job on your article.

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Carine Husni
2/2/2015 02:00:06

We need more people like you on our planet to fight for Lolita but also for all dolphins, orcas, monkeys and other captive animals

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Sarah
3/9/2015 11:18:51

Wow! That was so cool I had no idea that captive whales were actually harmed by humans!

Reply



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    BLOG by 
    ZACH AFFOLTER
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    Zach Affolter is a freshman at Humboldt State University, majoring in Marine Biology with a minor in Wildlife and Scientific Diving. He has been a passionate animal advocate since his first year of high school and has earned recognition from local and national media for his efforts. Zach currently is a Youth Ambassador for Dolphin Project, a paid writer at For All The Animals and was on Peta2's Youth Advisory Board for the past year. Zach has accomplished much in the activist realm, from helping to organize the largest protest for a captive cetacean ever to petitioning his school board to seek more humane and educational alternatives instead of holding field trips at SeaWorld. He also volunteered with Earthrace, for which he also served as a youth advisory, and Pretoma last summer in Costa Rica to protect sea turtle eggs from poachers.

    Zach also is a passionate writer/film producer and is currently working on two novels. One such book, "Breaking Through The Clouds," is about the captive orca Lolita held in an illegally sized tank at the Miami Seaquarium. He has written articles for local papers and well-established animal rights organizations, such as Dolphin Project. His efforts earned him PETA's Libby (for liberation) Award last year. Through his activism, writing, and video productions, Zach hopes to spread awareness about important issues, educate people about how beautiful nature is, and why it needs to be protected.

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