Holise E. Cleveland III's Page

The following is a post I made on Elora Malama's blog. Elora and her father, (Sea Shepherd's Scott West), are currently in Taiji, Japan reporting daily. It is suspected that her blog is being monitored by Japan officials which is why some of my comments are directed as such.
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The Japanese are by far one of the most intelligent races of people on earth. They are the most disciplined and hospitable. Their culture is remarkable and their art is awe-inspiring. They are a people of tradition and family values. That is why I am dumbfounded to know that these atrocities are committed at their hands.

I was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.A. We had a very rich culture in the deep south that was very much deep-rooted in slavery. Abraham Lincoln is the name that I remember most for being a major contributor to the abolition of our cultural atrocity.

Our culture changed. We no longer kept our dark brother in physical chains but we kept him at the back of the bus and we had many fine establishments wherein he was not allowed. We enjoyed our precious new society for some time before someone else had the audacity to stand up. The name that comes to mind is Rosa Parks.

Culture at its worst may endure indefinitely until someone makes a change for what they know is right. While there are undoubtedly thousands involved in such monumental cultural adjustments, there are only a few names that go down in history.

Elora, be sure to save every tidbit of text that you have written and every photograph you have taken in Taiji. You are writing history. I have no doubt that excerpts from your blog will be appearing in students’ text books of future generations.

Japan. Whose names shall go down in history for making an epic and bold move in your culture? Will it be your name, Mr. Fu (head of the fisherman’s union)? Will it be your name, Mr. Prime Minister? Or whose name shall it be? Will you be remembered by your children’s children and their children and their children and your entire nation for doing what is right? Or shall you be forgotten simply by abiding the status quo? What will be the historically significant name that the world remembers?

Worse yet, will your name be remembered for being the opposition?