Save a Gorilla or Save a Child?

Save a Gorilla or Save a Child?

June 3, 2016 • From theTrumpet.com

America has become desensitized to the value of human life.

By Callum Wood

The United States has once again taken to social media to express rage at the killing of an exotic animal. News sources and blogs are alight with accusations after Harambe the silverback gorilla was shot dead at the Cincinnati Zoo.

The tragedy occurred on May 28 when a 3-year-old boy fell into Harambe’s enclosure. Harambe proceeded to hold the boy, dragging him back and forth in a moat for 10 minutes before zookeepers decided to shoot the gorilla to rescue the child. The boy was fortunate enough to walk away with only a concussion and a few minor scrapes.

Since that time, much of the backlash has been directed at the mom of the 3-year-old, as well as at the zoo itself for not providing adequate fencing.

The story has been splashed across headlines around the world. Celebrities have spoken out, criticizing whomever they deem appropriate. Ranters and trolls have bombarded Twitter and Facebook, and animal rights activists have begun their usual condemnation of the treatment of animals in captivity.

There was even a candlelight vigil and makeshift memorial adorned with flowers and cards at the zoo.

But now comes the stark reality.

More than 150 days of 2016 have passed. In that time, over 5,475 people have been killed in gun-related violence—be it accidental or malicious. Murder rates have increased in at least 30 major cities across America. Nearly half of all cities surveyed by the Major Cities Chiefs Association showed an increase in murders over the same time period in 2015.

As of last week, Cincinnati—the home of Harambe the gorilla—has had 27 homicides for the year and a total of 855 violent crimes, including homicide, rape, robbery and aggravated assault. But as tragic as this is, it’s dwarfed by the magnitude of cities such as Chicago.

Murders in Chicago jumped a staggering 72 percent in 2016. Shootings alone are up more than 88 percent. There have been 243 murders in the city this year. By the time this article posts, there are almost guaranteed to be more; murders occur faster than an article can be written and edited.

Comparing the attention given to Harambe the gorilla with that given to human homicide shows there is something wrong. A single gorilla has held media attention for at least a week, whereas mass murders of human beings go virtually unnoticed.

The scenario brings back memories of Cecil the lion—a previously unheard of Zimbabwean lion that was killed by an American dentist. Public outcry against the dentist was far more virulent than their response of the Planned Parenthood videos.

As Trumpet columnist Stephen Flurry wrote in regard to the uproar surrounding Cecil the lion, “We are living in a world gone mad.”

The same madness can be seen in the response to the shooting of Harambe the gorilla. Parenting or zoo negligence aside, the authorities made the right choice and the child was saved from a 400-pound, unpredictable wild animal. Yet the uproar has been ongoing. Meanwhile, crimes against human beings are skyrocketing. People are murdering one another at an unprecedented rate!

And the murders are not restricted to city streets. Blogger and writer Matt Walsh pointed out:

One hundred twenty-five thousand children will be murdered through abortion today, as we speak, all across the globe. There will be no vigils for them. There will be no shrines. There will be no “National Outrage.” The outrage will be confined to a very specific group of people called “pro-lifers,” but everyone else couldn’t care less. Or, even worse, they’re actually quite happy about it.

The incident at Cincinnati Zoo points to a sad truth: People have become calloused to the value of human life. To learn more, read Stephen Flurry’s article “The World Has Gone Mad Over the Slaying of Cecil the Lion.” ▪