What else could possibly be said about the shooting death of Harambe, the Cincinnati Zoo’s gorilla, now that Rep. Steve Cohen has posted his musical tribute to the fallen animal?
Well, there’s still plenty of finger pointing to be done by just about everyone except the zoo’s director, Thane Maynard, who held a Memorial Day press conference to justify the killing of the gorilla and to address lingering questions, such as why the gorilla’s handlers didn’t simply tranquilize the animal.
Incredible/sad scenes in #Cincinnati Zoo,why was it necessary to kill Gorilla in order to save boy ??? Was there no other way…?
— Boris Becker (@TheBorisBecker) May 30, 2016
.@CincinnatiZoo director on decision to shoot: It was clear that gorilla was "agitated" and "disoriented." pic.twitter.com/LiWgtOkTBo
— BuzzFeed News (@BuzzFeedNews) May 30, 2016
Who’s to blame? Maynard told reporters that he’s “not a big finger-pointer.”
#CincinnatiZoo director: "I'm not a big finger-pointer" https://t.co/4sNwjrOzVu https://t.co/LocacgAGqx
— CNN (@CNN) May 30, 2016
Plenty of critics, such as Piers Morgan, aren’t hesitating to point the finger at the zoo for not fully securing the gorilla enclosure.
RIP Harambe.
A magnificent gorilla dies because a zoo failed to make its barriers safe. https://t.co/E5682u7SsL pic.twitter.com/dCwNKLIKJ1— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) May 29, 2016
*A magnificent gorilla dies because of an inattentive mother who needs to pay for a memorial for Harambe. https://t.co/Bv8wyTrWka
— CPM (@ChelsiePatrice) May 30, 2016
The mother of the boy who managed to enter the gorilla enclosure hasn’t done much to endear herself to the public, releasing a statement on behalf of her family saying that “accidents happen.”
A statement from the family?
The ONLY thing I'd like to hear from them is an apology to the zoo and the people of Cincinnati! #Harambe— Beth (@MrsStinkFingers) May 30, 2016
The mother, Michelle Gregg, refers to Harambe's senseless murder as "accidents happen." Disgraceful woman!https://t.co/RIGlwk5vFy
— A.J. Delgado (@AJDelgado13) May 30, 2016
Correct response? "I can't believe to say how sorry I am. And I grieve for Harambe. I am donating and volunteering at the zoo for a year"
— A.J. Delgado (@AJDelgado13) May 30, 2016
Actor Rob Lowe has already taken plenty of heat this holiday weekend for recommending the Benghazi film “13 hours,” so why not wade into a real controversy? To Lowe, both the mother and the zoo director are symptoms of a much deeper disease.
Between this guy and the mom, you have society's problems in a nutshell. Everything is everyone else's fault. https://t.co/1FvoNdQoEt
— Rob Lowe (@RobLowe) May 30, 2016
— Grant May (@gem3wood) May 30, 2016
@RobLowe mic drop
— #GoPensGo (@thefolksathome) May 30, 2016
@RobLowe @CNN finally someone man enough to say it! The zoo & parents should be in court for neglect but it's poor #harambe that suffers
— didge (@didge85) May 30, 2016
Just as when much of the world suffered a collective meltdown upon the killing of Cecil the lion (Morgan wrote a column fantasizing about the trophy hunter being hunted down, skinned alive, beheaded and mounted on a wall), a few brave souls stepped forward to weigh in on the value of human life.
Today is Memorial Day, a time to reflect on the those who gave their lives for our freedom. It's not I'm So Upset a Gorilla Was Killed Day
— Justen Charters (@JustenCharters) May 30, 2016
More than 5,000 U.S. service people have been killed since 9/11 but #harambe
— LMR (@LilMissRightie) May 30, 2016
Context to every reporter's question to the Cincinnati zoo director is: "I'm a child and have never faced hard decisions, why bad things?"
— el ¡Soopèr! ن (@SooperMexican) May 30, 2016
Related:
Woke AF hot-take alert: The African gorilla was killed to protect ‘White life’
