Sea World being sued for slavery?

Come on PETA... you could come up with something better than that to help protect the whales at Seaworld. "People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is accusing theSeaWorld parks of keeping five star-performer whales in conditions that violate the 13th Amendment ban on slavery. " .... violating the 13th amendment? Really?..... I mean... REALLY??

It's no secret that the animals would be better off in the wild. We have known this for years, and yet here we are in 2011 with Animal theme parks and zoos in every major city around the world. It's just how it is. Campaigning for better facilities and treatment of the animals is the best and only real thing you can do for them. Too much money is made off of them to ever put them back in the wild.

Plus once you open the door for the constitution to apply to animals it will never end. The 13th amendment alone could then be argued against Zoos, farms, and even house pets. Isn't keeping a dog at your house as a pet a form of slavery? Always on a leash, behind fences, and at the mercy of the owners will. Or raising animals to be butchered for food.... yeah pretty sure that is slavery or worse... but hey, we gotta eat!

These orcas at Seaworld might be taken from their natural habitat and raised for entertainment, but they are kept at Seaworld's facilities which is among the world's most respected zoological institutions. "There is no higher priority than the welfare of the animals entrusted to our care and no facility sets higher standards in husbandry, veterinary care and enrichment."

"SeaWorld and other U.S. marine parks are governed by the Marine Mammals Protection Act, which allows public displays of the creatures if permits are obtained and the facility offers and education/conservation programs for the public.

Overall, under prevailing U.S. legal doctrine, animals under human control are considered property, not entities with legal standing of their own. They are afforded some protections through animal-cruelty laws, endangered-species regulations and the federal Animal Welfare Act, but are not endowed with a distinct set of rights."