Makah Whaling

* The Oct. 12 story on the gray whale hunt by Washington’s Makah Indians, opposed by the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, noted that Makah plans include “running the Sea Shepherd out of gas money before they run out of money themselves.”

The public should realize that the Makah are unlikely to run out of finances because our government is lavishly supporting the whale hunt. Already at least $1.5 million in taxpayer dollars has been spent to pay for the National Guard and boats and personnel of the Coast Guard and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (which resides under the umbrella of the office of Vice President Al Gore). As this conflict could go on for a long time, the American public, which is overwhelmingly opposed to whaling, will end up paying a lot of money to kill whales.

BEN ZUCKERMAN

Los Angeles