By Susan K. Smith
George Curry Media Columnist
Gorilla at The Cincinnati Zoo
The story is old as news cycles go: a 3-year-old toddler fell into the gorilla enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo and the end-result is that the gorilla was shot and killed, but the toddler was rescued, apparently unharmed.
It’s a bittersweet end result, yes? The little boy is Okay. The 400-pound gorilla, probably pretty stunned that the little guy was in his space, dragged him around but didn’t hurt him. But because the situation was so tenuous, zoo authorities decided the only way to insure the safety of the child was to shoot and kill Harambe, the gorilla.
Immediately, the outcry and outrage rose to deafening levels. An online petition was begun by animal rights activists, and had by the next day garnered more than 330,000 signatures. Activists said that the gorilla should have been tranquilized, not killed. However, zoo authorities and animal behavior experts said they decided to kill Harambe because they were not sure tranquilization would have worked – and would not have worked immediately – and might have actually enraged the animal, putting the little boy in more danger.
The blame game started – with a fair number of people on each side of the “whose fault is it?” conversation. But now something very troubling has come to the surface. It seems that the parents of the little boy are being investigated and they may face charges for this whole unfortunate incident.
This is an African American family.
Apparently the child’s father has a “long criminal history,” with charges including burglary, drug trafficking, and disorderly conduct. But as everyone knows, a Black kid can be and is arrested for “offenses” for which White kids are never approached. It is very easy for a Black person, especially a Black male, to be criminalized for non-violent offenses. More important, what does his record have to do with the accident?
The issue is bigger than the scrutiny being given to the child’s parents, especially his father. It is not unusual for kids to fall into the pens and enclosures of animals at zoos.
(http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/05/harambegorillas-zoos-safety-incidents-animals/)
According to one news report, “since 1990, animals died during escapes or attacks 42 times; 15 incidents of this sort have resulted in the loss of human life and 110 have resulted in human injury.
What is troubling is not only the statistics that support the not-so-unusual occurrence of kids getting into animal pens at zoos, but also the fact that for this incident, the attacks on the parents have a distinctly racist undertone.
The mother has been called “stupid and lazy” for “letting” her child get away. Both parents have been called “irresponsible” in light of the incident, though the father was not at the zoo with the family at the time.
The attacks on the parents have been brutal and non-stop and many people want both parents to be charged with a crime. I do not recall this kind of reaction in previous incidents where kids have gotten away from their parents in a zoo setting.
It is because Harambe had to be killed that people are angry, but it is telling about the times we live in that very few comments have been printed or reported voicing relief that the little boy is well. There has been very little acknowledgment that kids get away from even the best parents, and it is horrifying whenever it happens.
The core and gut of America is not one of compassion and care; it is filled with the poison of racial and sexual hatred. In incidents like this, it seeps out. The scab over America’s sore does not hold well when it is hit by events that play to the most base racist instincts and emotions of far too many people.
I hope the investigation of the parents ends. I hope the mother and father do not lose their jobs and therefore, their capacity to take care of their children. I hope they keep taking their kids out to places – like zoos – where they can learn and grow. I hope the mean-spirited “moms” and “animal lovers” will stop spewing their hatred and perhaps spend energy on getting zoos to make their animal enclosures more kid-safe.
I hope all of that, but I am not optimistic that my hopes will be realized.
Rev. Susan K Smith is an ordained minister who lives in Columbus, Ohio. She is the author of several books, including “Crazy Faith: Ordinary People; Extraordinary Lives” and “The Book of Jeremiah: The Life and Ministry of Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr. She is available to preach or do keynote addresses. Reach her by emailing revsuekim@sbcglobal.net