Personal Priorities VS. The Right to Live

While in southern California I decided it was a priority to be able to swim in the ocean on a regular, if not daily basis.  The colder waters of my home region of the San Francisco Bay are a bit too chilly for me, thus forcing me to make a priority decision in life.  If I really want to be able to comfortably swim in the ocean daily I would need to move to an area with warmer waters.

As I swam in the juvenile white shark-filled waters around Manhattan Beach I reflected upon how certain regions of the world were trying to change their surroundings to fit their own priorities rather than changing their lives to make their priorities possible.  I'm speaking of course, about shark culling.  Is what we change only limited by what we are able to change?  Meaning, if humans could change the water temperature of San Francisco Bay to increase beach tourism, would we?  Why is this different than killing animals where they live because we want to recreate in those same waters without risk of encountering those animals?  We're trying to change the environment to fit our own selfish desires rather than adapting our lives accordingly.  For example, why shouldn't a surfer who is NOT willing to accept the inherent dangers of sharing the water with an ultimate predator  be forced to make a life decision such as moving to beaches that don't have white sharks?  

Watch Shark Minutes

Water peels away from the denticles (making up the skin) of a #greatwhiteshark as it surfaces #WSV #whitesharkvideo pic.twitter.com/kzy27RipTa

— White Shark Video (@WhiteSharkVideo) November 3, 2015

​Really that's the same as me moving to warmer climates because I don't want to swim in cold water.  The difference is that we are ABLE to kill animals whereas I am NOT ABLE to change the ocean's temperature.  Killing certain animals gives us that comforting sense that we are back in control while simultaneously creating a placebo affect of believing we are now safe.   

But should we have that much control?  Whether you believe we were given this earth to do with as we please or not, history continuously shows us that we don't do ourselves any favors when we try to control the environment.  Trying to control everything is a dangerous spiral, especially when that control comes in the form of death.  Live and let live.  If you aren't willing to accept the conditions of your environment perhaps you shouldn't be in that environment...

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