Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

truth2power

(8,219 posts)
61. I read in one account where a bystander supposedly said
Mon May 30, 2016, 09:24 PM
May 2016

that the boy kept saying he was going into the water and the mother said, "no you're not" and the boy said, "yes I am" and mom said, "no you're not", etc.

IF this account is true, and notice, I said, "if", - I wasn't there - then that's the crux of the matter. Why would any parent be arguing with their child over the child taking some action that could be life-threatening? There's hardly a week goes by that I don't encounter, in the grocery or somewhere, a child screaming his lungs out and bullying his/her parent because of wanting something the parent isn't prepared to provide.

I've come to the conclusion that Americans, these days, worship their children instead of parenting them. In addition, when my children were young, MANY years ago, I had a harness on the youngest when I was in large crowds. Nowadays, they even have cute little backpack harnesses that look like a teddy bear.

Of course there's always some "concern busybody" who'll say the little darlings shouldn't be treated like animals, or some other nonsense. Better they fall into a hole and tragedy ensues, I guess.

I blame the mother. Sue me.

Totally agree! K&R nt avebury May 2016 #1
. In_The_Wind May 2016 #2
Thank you, Mr. Corwin BuelahWitch May 2016 #3
As a resident of a major tourist attraction RandySF May 2016 #4
I'll be glad to help you. 840high May 2016 #24
Zoos could also make gorilla cages child-proof. (nt) stone space May 2016 #5
It was good enough for 38 years and 44m+ visitors. linuxman May 2016 #8
So the lesson is wallyworld2 May 2016 #25
I'm sure it will be improved upon Travis_0004 May 2016 #33
Do you understand the diffrence linuxman May 2016 #37
And if that "user" is a child who managed to find the loaded gun? stone space May 2016 #44
It would be the parents' fault in the case of the gun as well, as they didn't take basic precautions linuxman May 2016 #45
Child finds a loaded gun in a public restroom. stone space May 2016 #60
Who said that? linuxman May 2016 #66
Kids should always be on a leash RoccoR5955 May 2016 #116
I don't recommend that parents leave knives out on the counter Aerows May 2016 #84
I agree with you. classykaren May 2016 #90
Children get separated from parents all of the time jberryhill May 2016 #87
Yes the fence could be better but so could the parents of that child LynneSin May 2016 #98
My son is grown now, but FlaGranny May 2016 #105
You don't know the first goddam thing about that parent... gregcrawford May 2016 #69
I know for a fact linuxman May 2016 #70
Here is an eye witness account. CC May 2016 #88
The mother did not kknow where her child was! Silver_Witch May 2016 #97
Or child cages gorilla-proof instead. cagefreesoylentgreen May 2016 #43
Or certain parents child-proof! nt valerief May 2016 #47
That's a more radical remodeling that might enhance the experience significantly. stone space May 2016 #48
Like Jurassic World cagefreesoylentgreen May 2016 #58
I think we need to childproof these fucking parents...... Logical May 2016 #46
Wow! stone space May 2016 #50
Or parents could just pay attention to their offspring...... truebrit71 May 2016 #112
+1 billion magical thyme May 2016 #6
Perhaps the price of admission to the zoo should -include- harnesses and leashes. kentauros May 2016 #10
works for me. magical thyme May 2016 #13
Rumor has it Fritz Walter May 2016 #7
Anybody who refers to someone's child as "brat" and "spawn" Warren DeMontague May 2016 #17
This is not the first instance of "spawn" I have run across today. stone space May 2016 #19
Some people gotta get their 15 minute hate on. Warren DeMontague May 2016 #21
Get over it already ProudToBeBlueInRhody May 2016 #77
thank you passiveporcupine May 2016 #29
4 year olds will do what 4 year olds do Ex Lurker May 2016 #30
She ought to express compassion for the gorilla, who was not at fault, clearly. Warren DeMontague May 2016 #41
But we just heard a rumor... lame54 May 2016 #103
To clarify Fritz Walter May 2016 #89
A Rumor?... lame54 May 2016 #102
Whoa.. Texasgal May 2016 #119
So sorry Harambe...so terribly terribly sorry. Silver_Witch May 2016 #9
"I don’t think this happened in seconds or minutes. I think this took time" ToxMarz May 2016 #11
A three year old should be in a stroller or hand in hand sinkingfeeling May 2016 #91
A public zoo should not have an enclosure around dangerous animals that a ToxMarz May 2016 #92
I didn't realize Jeff Corwin was there at the time lostnfound May 2016 #12
"Corwin lives in Marshfield, Massachusetts, with his wife Natasha and their two daughters: Maya Rose MisterP May 2016 #16
They shouldn't have shot and killed the Gorilla. Rex May 2016 #14
Makes me want to cry seeing how relatively gentle that gorilla was being as well. bjo59 May 2016 #23
I'm with you.. hate zoos and circuses.. Always have secondwind May 2016 #26
Add Rodeos to that list. Mr.Bill May 2016 #34
And I throw in the Sea Worlds. rhett o rick May 2016 #117
I can only imagine the nightmare last seconds of the gorillas life. Rex May 2016 #28
Did you see this video? It wasn't so gentle. braddy May 2016 #32
Probably not too dangerous for a baby gorilla. stone space May 2016 #59
I baby sat a Chimpanzee once in my home when I was in the Army, and it turned out to be braddy May 2016 #67
We have a miniature pinscher we can't handle. (nt) stone space May 2016 #72
He was gentle the child left the hospital with a scratch! Silver_Witch May 2016 #99
The experts killed the animal, and say that they would do it again, it was a deadly situation. braddy May 2016 #101
He was protective of child; screaming crowd panicked him into running w/child Divernan May 2016 #111
It's easy to assume and pass judgment. Warren DeMontague May 2016 #15
We know a child wasn't properly supervised Ex Lurker May 2016 #18
What statement is that? Warren DeMontague May 2016 #20
"accidents happen." Ex Lurker May 2016 #22
They do. Warren DeMontague May 2016 #40
So true Bettie May 2016 #108
No child was ever separated from parents at a public place jberryhill May 2016 #54
Surely, such an unlikely event couldn't possibly be anticipated. stone space May 2016 #62
So I guess a tranquilizer wasn't an option? progressoid May 2016 #27
While I hate what happened, I agree with experts that tranquilizer don't work immediately and Hoyt May 2016 #31
I'm not so sure that a pissed off gorilla with a dart in his ass would improve the situation Travis_0004 May 2016 #36
This was not a movie linuxman May 2016 #38
The level of drugs needed to immediately subdue an angry gorilla would kill that gorilla. jeff47 May 2016 #42
The zoo guy addressed that. Warren DeMontague May 2016 #52
Thnx, I haven't seen news for a couple days. progressoid May 2016 #56
I only watched that clip. I really never turn on tv news, I probably wouldn't be aware of the story Warren DeMontague May 2016 #63
Better yet don't take your kids to see animals imprisoned. dilby May 2016 #35
Not a fan of zoos either. Wildlife parks with large areas for the animals to roam are better. nt Quixote1818 May 2016 #39
zoos have a purpose for education and attempting to prolong endangered species survival Feeling the Bern May 2016 #76
Why do we even have zoos with dangerous animals when we have soooooo much wonderful video to valerief May 2016 #49
Because a lot of these animals are endangered in their natural habitats. Act_of_Reparation May 2016 #94
I'm not convinced I have to be within 20 feet of a tiger. nt valerief May 2016 #109
Then don't be. Act_of_Reparation May 2016 #114
Agreed! nt valerief May 2016 #115
Thank you for posting this.Zoos most definitely are not meant as babysitters or amusement parks. n/t Judi Lynn May 2016 #51
The major distraction today is the smart phone malaise May 2016 #53
And yet people here also lament overprotective "helicopter parents" and pine for the lawn dart days. Warren DeMontague May 2016 #55
Way more complex malaise May 2016 #57
I think a lot of the hyperbole about "parents and kids today" is overblown, personally. Warren DeMontague May 2016 #64
Well you have a point re the Gorilla enclosure malaise May 2016 #68
Oh, here we go. Act_of_Reparation May 2016 #95
I read in one account where a bystander supposedly said truth2power May 2016 #61
interestingly they picked up on this with the burbs' boom in the 40s: they called it "filiarchy" MisterP May 2016 #65
Years ago I had FlaGranny May 2016 #106
Two things... malokvale77 May 2016 #71
Parents need to control their little spawns of Hell and their Demon spawns better Feeling the Bern May 2016 #73
Are you for fucking real? That kid is THREE. Warren DeMontague May 2016 #74
So is my niece, who beats up children in McDonalds to the point that McDonalds told my mother not to Feeling the Bern May 2016 #75
So does performance art, Chief. Warren DeMontague May 2016 #82
You're comparing this brat to Andy Kaufman. And we're done here. Feeling the Bern May 2016 #83
No, not the kid. Warren DeMontague May 2016 #85
Oh, Good Lord! Another one??? stone space May 2016 #80
When you are around screaming kids as much as I am, you get sick of their parents not doing Feeling the Bern May 2016 #81
Maybe its the same person. SalviaBlue May 2016 #107
Is it unreasonable... Act_of_Reparation May 2016 #96
Several years ago there was an incident at the Minnesota Zoo where a 9 year old stuck her dflprincess May 2016 #78
Ugh... that disturbs me even more than the gorilla incident Blasphemer May 2016 #79
I agree with that gollygee May 2016 #104
A three year old had no reason for being in that compound. roamer65 May 2016 #86
People are very quick to cast judgement down upon someone IronLionZion May 2016 #93
Whatever happened to tranquilizer darts? Hiraeth May 2016 #100
Why was there a space under the barrier?? sunnystarr May 2016 #110
"the mom is not to blame." I disagree. Ex Lurker Jun 2016 #122
My kids were very active, so I was always on high alert when I took them to the zoo. lark May 2016 #113
This message was self-deleted by its author Mosby May 2016 #118
I would agree with you. roamer65 May 2016 #120
Here is why the zoo overreacted. roamer65 May 2016 #121
Latest Discussions»General Discussion»Jeff Corwin: "Zoos are no...»Reply #61