Psychologist points to viral aspect in some social media reaction to gorilla death
CINCINNATI -- The reaction came swiftly from all sides: Blame the mother. Blame the zoo. After staff at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden shot a rare, male silverback gorilla over the weekend to protect a young boy, social media mobs screamed for someone to be blamed.
Reacting to tragic news is perfectly normal, clinical psychologist Dr. Erin Thase said, and it's been part of human nature for a very long time. What's new is that those reactions are preserved and amplified thanks to social media.
Before Facebook and Twitter and even email, those conversations would happen in person. And, Thase said, there was perhaps a greater level of self-restraint. But with the partial or total anonymity of the Internet, "you don't necessarily have the repercussions of having to really have that social interaction and make eye contact and have that emotional response from somebody that you may not necessarily agree with," she said.
She also points to a viral aspect at play when people say something others may find questionable or even outrageous: "Everyone wants to be the expert, because if you're the first to say it or you have that tweet that becomes famous or if you have that Facebook comment that gets put on the news or gets streamed somewhere, then you have that instant recognition. You have a little bit of fame to it."
Renee Mattson, a parenting coach and founder of Child In Bloom, said the best lesson for any parent is to adjust their behavior. The child's mother didn't go to the zoo expecting her son to crawl through a barrier and fall into the gorilla's enclosure, she said.
Although she's not intimately familiar with what happened in the moments before the child landed in the gorilla enclosure, she said the only way for a child to change his behavior is for the parent to change their behavior.
Thane Maynard, Cincinnati Zoo director, said the zoo would not press charges against the family of the 3-year-old boy who climbed into the gorilla enclosure.
“I’m not a finger-pointer,” Maynard said during a news conference Monday. “We (at the zoo) are the ones who took the loss on this. And it’s a great loss.”
http://www.wcpo.com/news/local-news/hamilton-county/cincinnati/psychologist-points-to-viral-aspect-in-some-social-media-reaction-to-gorilla-death
***
After gorilla death, try empathy -- not blame
You can armchair quarterback the parents or second-guess the zoo's decision to shoot the gorilla all day long. The bottom line is that, as heartbreaking as it is, the zoo did what it had to do under the circumstances. When it's a decision between saving a child or saving an animal, you always pick the human being.
The whole episode is sad -- a child is safe, but another living being has died. What's even more tragic is our insatiable need to find fault in everything that happens in life. In that regard, we are all at fault here.
What if instead of lawyering up and assigning blame like we always do, we take a step back in this instance and try a little empathy? The parents didn't throw the kid into the enclosure, the crowd didn't mean to agitate Harambe and the zoo didn't want to have to kill him.
The situation was horrible for everyone involved. It was an accident. And I for one am thanking our lucky stars it wasn't worse.
***
After gorilla shooting, are zoos becoming 'obsolete'?
I interviewed Elspas, founder of the blog Mommy Blog Expert, as "Blackfish" was set to air on CNN. Back then, she said that places like SeaWorld provide crucial education to children about whales.
Today, she feels the same way but is somewhat conflicted, she says. On the one hand, she feels it's important for the public to be able to experience nature up close. "Videos and photos of animals just don't have the same effect as seeing them," she said via email. But on the other hand, as an animal lover, she feels for the animals being free to roam in their natural habitat and not in captivity.
"Perhaps it's possible to meet halfway: increase the quality of life in captivity, while keeping fewer animals so people can still see and experience them, while allowing more animals to roam free," she said.
But plenty of parents also feel like Laurie Marshall, a mom of two, who said earlier this year that she has no plans to stop taking her kids to circuses, zoos and aquariums. Marshall, whose kids are 6 and almost 10, said it was "startling" when you see "how big these creatures are and how small the tanks are." Still, her SeaWorld experience didn't change her mind about bringing her kids to places where they can see animals up close.
"First, I do not think it is OK to keep animals in a contained habitat if it hampers their lifestyle," said Marshall, the founder and president of the Marshall Law Group. "But, I am not the type to boycott any of the places above, as I don't believe my sacrifice is going to make a difference and it would deprive my kids of their enjoyment."
***
EXCLUSIVE: Parents-of-four whose son fell into zoo enclosure sparking killing of Harambe the gorilla as it emerges father has a lengthy criminal history - including kidnap and drug trafficking
By Laura Collins In Cincinnati, Ohio, For Daily Mail.com
These are the parents of the four-year-old boy whose 15-feet fall into the gorilla exhibit moat in Cincinnati Zoo resulted in the death of 17-year-old silverback gorilla, Harambe.
Seen here for the first time is mother Michelle Gregg, 32, who has four children by father Deonne Dickerson, 36, a man who, Daily Mail Online can disclose, has a lengthy criminal history.
Criminal filings against Dickerson stretch over a decade and include burglary, firearms offences, drug trafficking, criminal trespass, disorderly conduct and kidnap.
In 2006 he was sentenced to one year behind bars for a drug trafficking conviction.
But in numerous pictures posted on Dickerson's Facebook site in recent years he appears to have turned his life around to become the proud father of four.
Indeed, the majority of his postings to the social media site are updates of his children and his working life.
Earlier on Sunday, police said prosecutors could choose to indict the parents, but Cincinnati Police Lieutenant Stephen Saunders later said he was not aware of any intention to do so.
Soon after the incident, Michelle Gregg, the mother of the boy, posted a message on Facebook saying:
'I want to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers today. What started off as a wonderful day turned into a scary one.
'For those of you that have seen the news or been on social media that was my son that fell in the gorilla exhibit at the zoo. God protected my child until the authorities were able to get to him.
'My son is safe and was able to walk away with a concussion and a few scrapes... no broken bones or internal injuries.
'As a society we are quick to judge how a parent could take their eyes off of their child and if anyone knows me I keep a tight watch on my kids. Accidents happen but I am thankful that the right people were in the right place today.
'Thank you to everyone that helped me and my son today and most importantly God for being the awsome [sic] God that He is.'
The family also released a statement on Sunday saying they had taken their boy home from the hospital.
It read:
'We are so thankful to the Lord that our child is safe. He is home and doing just fine. We extend our heartfelt thanks for the quick action by the Cincinnati Zoo staff.
'We know that this was a very difficult decision for them, and that they are grieving the loss of their gorilla. We hope that you will respect our privacy at this time.'
During a press conference on Monday, Maynard said Harambe was 'behaving erratically', before adding:
'The child wasn't just being endangered, but dragged around by the ankle and hurt.
'We are heartbroken about losing Harambe, but a child's life was in danger and a quick decision had to be made.'
He supported the zoo's dangerous animal response team for their decision to kill Harambe, and said:
'They made a tough choice and they made the right choice because they saved that little boy's life.'
During Monday's press conference, Maynard said he wasn't there to 'point fingers' but said:
'We all need to work to make sure our families are safe.'
'We're the ones who took the loss on this- you can trust me, a lot of people expressed concerns, but it doesn't affect anyone as much as the people at the zoo.
'This is a very big loss to the zoo- not just an emotional loss, but a loss to a key conservation and breeding program.'
On Monday, the zoo director insisted the horizontal barriers were secure and said:
'We take safety very seriously and we are keenly interested in improvement.
'Any of us could climb over barriers if we choose. As I said, you can lock your car or lock your house, but if someone wants to get in, they can.'
Zoo director Maynard noted it was the first time the team had killed a zoo animal in such an emergency situation, and he called it 'a very sad day'.
He said said in a statement:
'The Zoo security team's quick response saved the child's life.
'We are all devastated that this tragic accident resulted in the death of a critically-endangered gorilla. This is a huge loss for the Zoo family and the gorilla population worldwide.'
Jerry Stones, who worked at the Gladys Porter Zoo, in Bronwsville, Texas, where Harambe lived before he was transferred in 2014, said he was devastated by the news.
Stones, who raised the gorilla, told the NY Daily News:
'It tore me a new one. An old man can cry, too. He was a special guy in my life. It's a sad day for us.'
He added:
'He grew up to be a pretty, beautiful male. He was very intelligent. His mind was going constantly. He was just such a sharp character.'
Western lowland gorillas are deemed critically endangered by the World Wildlife Fund, but Maynard said Harambe's death would not be the end of his lineage, since viable sperm was stored at the zoo.
Gorilla World has been closed since the incident on Saturday, although Maynard said it was expected to reopen by next weekend. The rest of the zoo has been open as usual.
***
To: Marcus Kellum, Code Compliance Manager
From: Jerry Silver, Jr., Code Compliance supervisor
OVERVIEW
On September 24,2012,
resident,
Bobby Rasulina,
entered a complaint through our dynamic portal stating
"The resident at 1840 Mason Mill Rd"
(Mr. Avery)
has posted over 8 signs (spray painted on black plastic bags, 15 blowup holiday balloons,
monkeys hanging by the neck on ropes,
???a larger than life cross with non-sensical writings???
and other items, in his front yard. Mr.Avery has a history of arrests and mental health and/or drug abuse issues and these items in his yard are scaring the neighborhood.
???People are afraid to walk past his property???
DeKalb commissioner's office is aware of his issues and the police are repeatedly out there due to his harassment towards neighbors.
???His balloons???
are also causing financial harm to property owners
???trying to sell or rent homes in the neighborhood???
He was putting signs up on Saturday...
???with his face painted white???
The cross sign is
???offensive???
to Christian believers in the area.
His is hearing impaired.
Please proceed with caution he can be verbally aggressive.
???We as a neighborhood???
integrity of our personal believes,
and safety of the families in the neighborhood.
***
BARREL OF MONKEYS:
GENESIS IN REVERSE
As a child from a traditional southern family, playing Barrel of Monkeys on the floor, church every Sunday, doing well in public school, learning a trade; in every sense privileged ...
Comfortable in middle age, an avid news reader, on learning the tragic story of a full grown chimpanzee destroying the face of a woman who offered a toy, only trying to help it's owner coax her surrogate child back into his cage...
Today being confrontational, ribald, offensive, restless, rebellious...
How did I get here from there?
GENESIS II:
HOMOPOLAR,
GOD DAMN IT! HOMOPOLAR!
Frustrated Horny Faggot Many Believe to Be Bipolar or Too Depressing To Hang
With...Literally. Have Trouble Understanding...Then why ask: "Hey man! Sup?" Or, if Like My
Mother, Having To Hang Up On Her Repeatedly Cause She Won't Stop Calling Me; Worried Her Son Will
Die and No One Would Know if She Didn't!
?PURGATORY~g(CAT!FISH)d~DIALOGUE?
Instead of being the lost soul of a loner drifting aimlessly having a peripatetic wind, I'm now preferring something with more bite to it. As experience is just nature cruel way of giving he exams first followed by the lessons; you eventually reach a point where silence can no longer be contained no matter the cost.
~(!?!)~
a Bildungsroman
novel of formation, novel of education, or coming-of-age story
is
from
youth to adulthood
in which character change is extremely important.
~(!?!)~
I find myself becoming involved with politics; obsessive/compulsive actually. I want to debate the issues. I volunteer my unsolicited opinions just to force the discussions. I do not censor my opinions to spare feelings or avoid hostilities. I expect the same of others.
Right or wrong, spoken or unspoken, opinions are not just collections of idle thoughts. They have consequences. They are windows to one's soul.
Conceived naturally; born hearing impaired; raised the youngest member of a traditional rural southern Methodist family as segregation was ending; admission to veterinary school when women for the first time outnumbered male students, blacks noticeably underrepresented; discovering my sexual identity halfway through vet school; on leaving behind the comforts of family and home drawn to the gay ghetto of the cities; the building of a career, the politics of veterinary medicine, in a profession overwhelmingly conservative...
By conventional standards, I am not a success story. To my peers, nothing to brag about, career or relationship wise. I am, however, financially secure enough to live a comfortable "quiet" lifestyle. But, to live quietly would require pretending, I didn't see it, I didn't hear it, I didn't have something I'm needing to say; where injustice does not concern me, that I do not become involved.
Quoting my mother, who's quoting someone else, who's probably quoting someone else:
"How do you know where I'm going if you don't know where I've been?"
These blogs are my
"attempts" .jpg)
at humility.
It is true:
Little Lamb who made thee
Dost thou know who made theeGave thee life & bid thee feed.By the stream & o'er the mead;Gave thee clothing of delight,Softest clothing wooly bright;Gave thee such a tender voice,Making all the vales rejoice!Little Lamb who made theeDost thou know who made thee
Little Lamb I'll tell thee,
Little Lamb I'll tell thee!
He is called by thy name,
For he calls himself a Lamb:
He is meek & he is mild,
He became a little child:
I a child & thou a lamb,
We are called by his name.
Little Lamb God bless thee.
Little Lamb God bless thee.
You can not be neutral on a moving train.
Tyger Tyger, burning bright,
In the forests of the night;
What immortal hand or eye,
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?
In what distant deeps or skies.
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand, dare seize the fire?
And what shoulder, & what art,
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand? & what dread feet?
What the hammer? what the chain,
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? what dread grasp,
Dare its deadly terrors clasp!
When the stars threw down their spears
And water'd heaven with their tears:
Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the Lamb make thee?
Tyger Tyger burning bright,
In the forests of the night:
What immortal hand or eye,
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?
After all said and done,
TAO~G(6!9)D~OG
Shepherd still a predator.
Isaiah Dickerson
kids behaving badly
Rafe Henderson from Mason Mill
On Monday evening, April 4, two kids (maybe ages 9-10) with Boys club of Atlanta yellow T shirts were wandering down McConnell going from Clairmont towards Mason Mill and purportedly selling cookies. They had a blue container with the cookies and some paper work that seemed legit. But they were mostly playing in the stream and generally goofing off. I reprimanded one of them for not being serious and, in return, as they left without a contribution from me, they tossed one of the cobblestones from our wall into the stream. No adult in sight.
I googled Atlanta Boys Club and got only Boys and Girls. I called a couple of the numbers on the web page and the respondent said their youngsters always had adults with them and had blue, not yellow T shirts. I would like to contact the club to let them know about these kids and wonder if any of you might have contact information? Rafe
I googled Atlanta Boys Club and got only Boys and Girls. I called a couple of the numbers on the web page and the respondent said their youngsters always had adults with them and had blue, not yellow T shirts. I would like to contact the club to let them know about these kids and wonder if any of you might have contact information? Rafe
Shared with Mason Mill in General
James Avery from Mason Mill
Believe I came across these two crossing the street at Mason Mill Rd/Clairmont Rd intersection as I was returning home from attending Scott Holcomb and Mary Oliver's Town Hall Meeting at the library. Ethnic looking am I correct? At least it was a start at learning some responsibility. Gotta start somewhere. Maybe being a little to hard on them..? Next time try purchasing some cookies as a reward for positive behavior..?
I don't know why everyone finds me so negative when I'm thinking I'm being negative in a positive kind of way..?
I don't know why everyone finds me so negative when I'm thinking I'm being negative in a positive kind of way..?
Rafe Henderson from Mason Mill
Thanks, James. I had the same dilemma regarding reward/rebuke and their parting shot was probably due to my choice, although they were clearly interested in the stream and the bridge before my intervention. In any case, I think the issue is warning the club, as I may be the kids slipped away from the supervision they should have had and were clearly not representing themselves or the club in the best light. Rafe
You thanked Rafe
James Avery from Mason Mill
I wonder how many cookies they sold before coming upon your place? Sounds like a nice place..?
Diane Benjamin from Mason Mill
Those kids should not have pulled a stone from your wall. You were right to holler at them. That being said, isn't it nice that they are safe enough in our neighborhood that they can go out without being hovered over. And isn't it nice that that boys are still interested in playing in the creek.
James Avery from Mason Mill
My mother told me once not too long ago that I wasn't like other kids growing up small town of Prescott , Arkansas population four thousand; playing with toy guns, soldiers, and other like toys. Instead, my favorite toys were a bucket and minnow net; always down in the creeks catching things.
"Yeah...I do feel bad about that. Just about everything I caught died."
~(Simply Jim)~
Rafe, I hope you are able seeing the humor in this. Seeing what it is I'm trying to do...
"Yeah...I do feel bad about that. Just about everything I caught died."
~(Simply Jim)~
Rafe, I hope you are able seeing the humor in this. Seeing what it is I'm trying to do...
Rafe thanked you
Simply Jim: Herd Health Medicine
by
James Edward
Avery, D.V.M.
"The resident at 1840 Mason Mill Rd"
(Mr. Avery)
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