Oregonians Bid Farewell to Killer Whale Keiko With Songs, Poems, Exhibits (Warm 'n Fuzzy Alert)

AP Breaking News ^

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Feb 21, 2004

Oregonians Bid Farewell to Keiko, a Popular Killer Whale, With Songs, Poems, Exhibits By Joseph B. Frazier Associated Press Writer

NEWPORT, Ore. (AP) - Nearly 700 people, some wiping away tears, turned out to bid farewell to Keiko, the killer whale who starred in the popular "Free Willy" movies, and died overseas in December. The crowd gathered Friday at the Oregon Coast Aquarium, where he splashed his way into visitors' hearts from 1996 to 1998.

"Keiko was not one of our kind but nonetheless he was still one of us," Thomas Chatterton, a veterinary chaplain said during the service.

Officials at the aquarium organized the event in response to hundreds of e-mails, letters and phone calls from Keiko's fans, who sought closure.

At his memorial, songs were sung, poems read, candles lighted, exhibits of his life and journey unveiled. A fund drive has put in motion a commission for a bronze sculpture of the whale, which was captured as an infant near Iceland in 1979 for the aquarium trade.

Keiko gained fame in the "Free Willy" movie about a young boy who befriends a captive killer whale and coaxes him to jump over a sea park wall to freedom. Two sequels followed.

Keiko was brought to the Oregon Coast Aquarium in 1996 after the popular films prompted a $20 million program to free him from a Mexico City amusement park, where he'd been found languishing in poor conditions.

From Oregon, Keiko was sent to Iceland, near where he was born, for preparation for his return to the wild. When he was released in 2002, he swam 870 miles to the waters near the Norwegian village of Halsa. Keiko died in Norway, probably of pneumonia, in December.

Keiko seemed to love people, who returned the sentiment.

On Friday, fans viewed footage of Keiko swimming free in the wild, part of a film being produced by the Free Willie-Keiko Foundation and Portland singer-producer Theresa Demarest.

Former handlers talked of Keiko's gentleness and love of fun and games. A boy of perhaps six hugged a Keiko stuffed animal nearly half his own size.

Chatterton, the chaplain, said Keiko taught aquarium visitors about trust, patience and an unappreciated intelligence.

"Why should we care so much about a fish in times of poverty and homeless children?" he said. "Because he endeared himself to millions of people."

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On the Net: www.keiko.com

AP-ES-02-21-04 1457EST

This story can be found at: http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGABZI74YQD.html

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[governsleastgovernsbest]

"Why should we care so much about a fish in times of poverty and homeless children?" he said.

There is less poverty and fewer homeless children in our society than in virtually any society in the history of the world. Yet leave it to these self-indulgent hand-wringers to want to portray themselves as living in "the worst of times."

[KantianBurke]

What's whale taste like? Where can I pick up a couple filets?

[Paul Atreides]

Oregonians Bid Farewell to Killer Whale Keiko With Songs, Poems, Exhibits

While children, who are murdered in the womb, are unceremoniously dumped in a landfill.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Nearly 700 people, some wiping away tears, turned out to bid farewell to Keiko.

"Keiko was not one of our kind but nonetheless he was still one of us,"

It was stories like this that turned me from pro-choice to pro-life. These people will get together to self-indulgently "wipe away tears" over the death of an animal, who they consider "one of us."

The same people will meet again tomorrow to "celebrate" a woman's right to end the life of her unborn baby. Apparently the whale has more humanity to them than the baby.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

GMTA - see my post above.

[Grampa Dave]

"Chatterton, the chaplain, said Keiko taught aquarium visitors about trust, patience and an unappreciated intelligence.

"Why should we care so much about a fish in times of poverty and homeless children?" he said.

We have a blithering left wing lunatic in action here.

Bozo Chatterton, Keiko was a whale not a fish.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

What's whale taste like?

Just like spotted owl! ;-)

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Keiko was a whale not a fish.

Doesn't matter. So long as we're sure it's not an unborn child, it's worthy of our tears and protection.

[Grampa Dave]

Blithering Lunatic Liberal sighting/warning: "Why should we care so much about a fish in times of poverty and homeless children?" he said. "Because he endeared himself to millions of people."

[Grampa Dave]

They also love cop killers on death row, worry about terrorists in Gitmo and feel sorry for the $oddomite.

[SAMWolf]

Keiko was not one of our kind but nonetheless he was still one of us" Sounds like one of the "A boy is a rat is a worm" crowd.

[janetgreen]

Don't assume that animal lovers are pro-abortion. I am an animal lover, loved Keiko's story, shed some tears when he died, and am vehemently against abortion.

[bikerman]

They all taste like manatee.

[Paul Atreides]

Gross! Who, other than Janet Reno, would eat anything that tasted like Hillary?

[TADSLOS]

It's a frikkin' whale. Fire in the Hole!

A Proper Whale Send Off

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Don't assume that animal lovers are pro-abortion.

You are right, of course. But listening to the rhetoric of the preacher and the description of the crowd, I have a sneaky suspicion they were an overwhelmingly liberal, pro-choice crowd.

[blackie]

Look at all the starving children that could have been fed with money poured down the Keiko rat hole ~ damn the lunatic left ~ now they're bringing Canadian grey wolves to the states and those beasts of prey are raising hell with the elk heards, livestock and domestic animals!

Hang 'em High!

[Grampa Dave]

Worthless blather from a PC Lunatic Lib.

[VOA]

Chatterton, the chaplain, said Keiko taught aquarium visitors about trust, patience
and an unappreciated intelligence.

"Why should we care so much about a fish in times of poverty and homeless children?"
he said. "Because he endeared himself to millions of people."

This is from The Onion, isn't it?
Only The Onion (or Charles Dickens) could come up for a name like "Chatterton"
for a mindless, muttering moron that is probably "ordained" by one of
the degenerate seminaries of our land.

Thank G-d for the chaplains in our military services.
Well, except for the traitorous (and if let to their own means, murderous) ones
that are the usual mindless robotic slaves to Islam.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

That was epic! Thanks for posting. Nothing like being covered in a spray of putrefying whale blubber and blood!