DC Tom Posted June 1, 2016 Posted June 1, 2016 My close friend was once neighbors with the inventor of Jarts. My grandmother's boss had a guy in his weekly poker game who was friends with a guy who worked with Wernher von Braunn.
DC Tom Posted June 1, 2016 Posted June 1, 2016 I was once put in a headlock by Rulon Gardner. So was I! We're like brothers...
PromoTheRobot Posted June 1, 2016 Posted June 1, 2016 lets point that finger at the parents or guardian of the 4 year old At that age were really going to blame the kid? Actually yes. Reports say the kid told his mom he wanted to play with the gorilla. He had intent. Of course a 4 year old has no idea what the ramifications would be, but he had his mind set on the gorilla. His mom should have had him under control.
Chef Jim Posted June 1, 2016 Posted June 1, 2016 Actually yes. Reports say the kid told his mom he wanted to play with the gorilla. He had intent. Of course a 4 year old has no idea what the ramifications would be, but he had his mind set on the gorilla. His mom should have had him under control. When I was 4 I told my mom I wanted to be an astronaut. How would you suggest she should have controlled her son.
TakeYouToTasker Posted June 1, 2016 Posted June 1, 2016 I'm more than a bit jealous of the zoo employee who got to shoot the gorilla. First of all, who could have possibly guessed that zoos employ sharp shooters who stand ready to kill on a moments notice? Secondly, this has to be the only job in the world which not only legalizes and empowers, but actually demands, someone shooting endangered species. I can think of at least one infamous dentist who might be considering a career change.
bbb Posted June 1, 2016 Posted June 1, 2016 I can really empathize with the parents. We have a 4 year old and two 18 month old twins. it is really hard to take all three out somewhere by myself. Put one twin in the stroller for 5 seconds and the other one tries to bolt. I don't know what the mom was doing, but I can see her simply losing track of the kid for 5-10 seconds and something like this happening. It also wouldn't surprise me if the kid has some issues, because most 4-year olds that I know have more sense than to try to jump into a gorilla cage. That's what I'm thinking. There's a kid I know who was like that when he was 4. Now's he's 14 or so, and he has major issues. He still has no fear and pretty much feels no pain. Is constantly causing trouble in school, etc. When Promo above said "Of course a 4 year old has no idea what the ramifications would be" - I disagreed.
FireChan Posted June 1, 2016 Posted June 1, 2016 Actually yes. Reports say the kid told his mom he wanted to play with the gorilla. He had intent. Of course a 4 year old has no idea what the ramifications would be, but he had his mind set on the gorilla. His mom should have had him under control. This is a joke, right?
DC Tom Posted June 1, 2016 Posted June 1, 2016 Actually yes. Reports say the kid told his mom he wanted to play with the gorilla. He had intent. Of course a 4 year old has no idea what the ramifications would be, but he had his mind set on the gorilla. His mom should have had him under control. To be honest, a 4 year old probably has such a Disneyified view of nature that he thinks a silverback lowland gorilla is a cute, cuddly teddy bear who would never harm a 4 year old. And so do many adults, quite frankly. Most people anthropomorphize the **** out of animals (see: Mother!@#$ing March of the Mother!@#$ing Penguins), and are too damn stupid to realized that animals are animals, and not people in animal costumes.
Gugny Posted June 1, 2016 Posted June 1, 2016 For Beerball: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/anthropomorphize
DC Tom Posted June 1, 2016 Posted June 1, 2016 For Beerball: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/anthropomorphize People anthropomorphize all the time. Not me. Hell, I don't even anthropomorphize most of you idiots.
Acantha Posted June 1, 2016 Posted June 1, 2016 Actually yes. Reports say the kid told his mom he wanted to play with the gorilla. He had intent. Of course a 4 year old has no idea what the ramifications would be, but he had his mind set on the gorilla. His mom should have had him under control. Prior to this event, I would have never thought there was a way for a 4 year old child to actually get into an exhibit. Maybe I would have realized it if I was there and paid attention to the area enough to figure it out, but my assumption would have been that it was basically impossible (as it really should be). If my kid was telling me they wanted to go down to see the gorilla, I would have laughed and waived it off just like all of the other non-sense that he comes up with 300 times a day (my son is 2 1/2). I do agree that many, many parents don't pay enough attention to their kids in public places, but I just can't get on bored with the idea that this mother should have been ready for this particular outcome.
thebandit27 Posted June 1, 2016 Posted June 1, 2016 Did the same thing once at Niagara Falls. Kid was toddling along about 30 feet behind dad. Wife and I got between him and kid, and blocked his view. It was probably 30 seconds before he turned around and couldn't see his kid. And panicked. It was a good, cheap lesson all around - for him, about keeping a closer eye on his child, and me, for realizing how unbelievably quick and easy it would be for someone to kidnap a child. I've seen this happen too many times...it's the very reason that I approach a neurotic level about keeping an eye on my kids in public. Don't get me wrong, I'm more than willing to let them run/jump/explore and expose themselves to moderate hazards; how else are they supposed to learn to be responsible for their bodies? However, I maintain that I need to have a line of sight with them, because after all, they're three, and asking them to be rational, thinking humans all the time is too much at this age.
Gugny Posted June 1, 2016 Posted June 1, 2016 I've seen this happen too many times...it's the very reason that I approach a neurotic level about keeping an eye on my kids in public. Don't get me wrong, I'm more than willing to let them run/jump/explore and expose themselves to moderate hazards; how else are they supposed to learn to be responsible for their bodies? However, I maintain that I need to have a line of sight with them, because after all, they're three, and asking them to be rational, thinking humans all the time is too much at this age. I know you're a great dad, but I just want you to be careful with this one. Fergy's parents used to let him do this and we all know what that has led to ...
Beerball Posted June 1, 2016 Posted June 1, 2016 I know you're a great dad, but I just want you to be careful with this one. Fergy's parents used to let him do this and we all know what that has led to ...eeeeeewwwwwwwwww! A lawyer.
GaryPinC Posted June 1, 2016 Posted June 1, 2016 I think that's a very fine arguement as well. My only issue with people that say it wasn't horrible parenting is based on one simple fact. The fact that millions of little brats with horrible parents visit zoos every year. How often does this happen? To me that's why this takes the cake as an example of horrible parenting. Just my little bit. Maybe my biggest issue is because I'm slightly biased when it comes to people who have four kids, and claim oops when something happens. Don't have that many kids that you likely can't afford if you can't watch them. The woman works at a daycare for crying out loud. There is no way someone who supposedly cares for children for a living should have her own end up in a gorilla exhibit. I can't say for sure whether it was horrible parenting or not, based on one simple fact. I am a parent myself. My son was about 18 months and we introduced him to his first pool. Had him in there, played nice, set him on the deck with my ex while I then played with my daughter in the water. The little bugger silently stood there, took a few slow steps then started shriek laughing and sprinting to the far end of the pool and just leaped straight in to the 5 foot depth. My ex was in hot pursuit but a second or so behind once the realization and shock wore off. He was under 2-3 seconds but came up smiling and obviously held his breath. Oy. I suppose if he would have needed medical care there would be people thinking of us as horrible parents. Kids can change a situation dramatically within seconds for any parent. To be honest, a 4 year old probably has such a Disneyified view of nature that he thinks a silverback lowland gorilla is a cute, cuddly teddy bear who would never harm a 4 year old. And so do many adults, quite frankly. Most people anthropomorphize the **** out of animals (see: Mother!@#$ing March of the Mother!@#$ing Penguins), and are too damn stupid to realized that animals are animals, and not people in animal costumes. Some kids do, some kids don't. I had one of each. At least I knew which to target. :-)
boyst Posted June 1, 2016 Posted June 1, 2016 I was once put in a headlock by Rulon Gardner.Pff. I was pinned by 3-4 national champion/Olympians and had the **** slapped out of me by tom brands. Was laughed at by Dan Gable.
Gugny Posted June 1, 2016 Posted June 1, 2016 Pff. I was pinned by 3-4 national champion/Olympians and had the **** slapped out of me by tom brands. Was laughed at by Dan Gable. Lies. All. Lies.
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