damn good article

and one i agree with 100%

Ask Shamu: The U.S. Tortures Both Human and Animal Prisoners

— By James Ridgeway

The terms "torture" and "solitary confinement" have surfaced over and over again in articles and commentaries about Tilikum, the captive killer whale who drowned his trainer at Florida's SeaWorld last month. For the most part, the authors of these pieces have sought mercy for Tilikum. While the six-ton orca had been implicated in two previous human deaths, they argue, Tilikum's torturous life in capitivity rendered his behavior understandable, however horrific its results may have been.

Many of Tilikum's defenders highlight the rare intelligence and sensitivity of orcas and other dolphin species. And by way of mitigating circumstances, they point to his tragic youth, in which he was forcibly ripped from his family and community, and to the lonely and restricted life he has lived ever since, released from isolation in his tank only to perform or to breed. ............

...................Even legendary marine explorer Jacques Cousteau weighed in years ago, stating "There’s about as much educational benefit studying dolphins in captivity as there would be studying mankind by only observing prisoners held in solitary...................

Photo from PD Photo.org / Creative Commons License.