Sharks Have No Rights

Sharks do not have a right of way. That is why we hunt them down when they overturn boats and kill us. On land, one man was mauled by a lion in front of his family, while taking a picture. In Asia, we shoot tigers that wander into villages, looking for food. We kill bears that eat us while we are napping in the wild, looking for 'peace' away from workers striking for a living wage.

Sharks do not have a right of way because they are a lesser species. Humans are second to god, therefore we decide who lives who dies, what lives what dies. We have a right to play anywhere, on land and sea. We have a right to erect fences around our homes to keep unwanted elements out. A man’s home is his castle, says an English proverb. Sharks do not have that right. They don’t have a home. They cannot sue the fishing industry or marine tourism for burglary, because they don’t have money. We have money so we can play in outer space or in the ocean.

We shoot sharks that kill us because we cannot be blamed for anything, as long as we have money. The Titanic was money floating on something as dangerous as the sea. Money makes you curious, so some men went down there in the Ocean Gate submersible to find out what happened. That was June 18, 2023. They never came back.

In a few years time, another set of men with money will dive into the shark’s home to find out what happened to Titanic 1 and 2. Mark my words. In the meantime, we will continue playing in the ocean with our AI powered machines. It’s our right. How about sharks? They don’t have a right of way.

By: Nonqaba waka Msimang.