A Letter to President Barack Obama

A handwritten version of this letter is going in the mail tomorrow morning.

Dear President Obama,

Congratulations on your re-election as President of the United States. The results on Election Night gave me a renewed sense of hope for our country and our world. I have thought about writing you a few times over the past four years, but this letter that I write to you today is not about me. It’s about “a civilization of creatures who have never attacked us, who only show us kindness, and who have no defense against us: they are dolphins, porpoises, and whales.”*

A petition signed by over half a million people will be delivered to you, Vice President Biden, and the Japanese Ambassador to the U.S. regarding the dolphins, porpoises, and whales that swim near Japan. These beautiful, intelligent creatures don’t belong to Japan. They don’t belong to anyone. They don’t belong in captivity. They do belong in the ocean.

They do not deserve to inhumanely die by human hands in Taiji's killing "cove."

And yet, this is happening in 2012 and will continue to happen unless we, the people of the world, do something about it. And we are.

Mr. President, I am asking you, as our World Leader and as the Voice of the People, to please work with the Japanese government to end the senseless slaughter in Taiji, Japan.

In your final campaign speech in Iowa, you said, “Don't let anybody tell you your voice can't make a difference.” I took your words to heart and am now using my voice to speak on behalf of the dolphins, porpoises, and whales.

Thank you for taking the time to read this letter, Mr. President. I know you have a lot on your plate – believe me, I know. But as Captain Paul Watson has said, "If the oceans die, we die! It is as simple as that and, thus, to me, there is no cause more important."

Let’s move the country forward, and let’s move the world forward. Please help stop the killing and live capture of dolphins, whales, and porpoises in Taiji.

Sincerely,
Allison Cabellon
New York, NY

*Quote from "I am a Cove Guardian." Please click here to watch.

A Letter to Ellen DeGeneres

A handwritten version of this letter is going in the mail on Monday morning.

Dear Ellen,

My name is Allison Cabellon, and I have been a fan of yours for many years. I am writing to you on a Saturday night because I need your help as a fellow compassionate animal lover.

In 2010, you recommended on your website that visitors/viewers watch the documentary The Cove. Fast forward 2 years later, and the dolphin hunts and slaughter continue in Taiji, Japan. Last night, Sea Shepherd Cove Guardians livestreamed footage to the world. Three Risso dolphins* were captured for a life of captivity, and the rest of their family, 7 more Rissos, were killed. I will never forget the dolphins’ cries while watching The Cove. Last night’s cries will haunt me, too.

Ellen, can you help me – and all who care about animals – by asking Yahoo! to stop selling whale and dolphin meat on their websites? Amazon.com did. I am asking you not only because you care about animals but also because your show’s website, ellentv.com, appears to be hosted on Yahoo! Your powerful voice could make a big difference for the dolphins.

As of tonight, there are 128,617 people on Change.org who are calling for Yahoo! to stop selling whale and dolphin meat. “We can’t make change without knowing what we’re up against.” That is how you ended your website recommendation for watching The Cove. Now that we do know what we’re up against, let’s make the change.

Thank you,
Allison
New York, NY

*UPDATE: As reported by Melissa Sehgal on the October 24th live stream by Sea Shepherd, the three Rissos in captivity are not eating.