The Silverback Incident

Death threats and over 400,000 signatures on a petition demanding justice for the death of a gorilla? The silverback incident was a shame. He was a beautiful animal, but the fact of the matter was that a child was at risk. Over the weekend, a four-year-old child managed to drop into the enclosure of a 400lb silverback gorilla. The animal was shot dead to protect the child and return him to his parents.

How could this happen?

People are outraged. All over the world, they are clamoring for justice. They want someone held accountable. Someone must pay. I’m shaking my head.

Questions of how and why are appropriate. Let’s not allow this to happen again. The vitriol with which people are attacking the mom all over social media is astonishing.

I cannot help but make comparisons. Thoughts of the thousands of tiny children torn limb from limb and the immense pain they went through, in the moments prior to their deaths as it compared to his quick death. The fact that those thousands of children were innocent with no potential to do immediate harm.

The overwhelming apathy for the human victims compared to the calls for justice for Harambe, the gorilla, is the hardest part for pro-lifers. Was it because they could see him? Perhaps, it because he was beautiful? Maybe, it because he was rare? Was it because of their disdain for humans?

Would they rather the child have been killed? He was dragged about and  beat up. Twitter lit up like firecrackers calling for the parents to be killed. How is this the world we live in? Reminiscent of the Roman Colosseum, in the silverback incident, the elevation of animals over people to the death is still with us.

Why could this happen?

Meanwhile, abortionists hack children to bits every day. In many cities across America, near churches, and residences, schools and municipal buildings: people look the other way. They are unaware and don’t care about the slaughter of the smallest and most vulnerable among us. This callousness about human life has pervaded all of society.

Thankfully, there are pro-life people standing at the gates of hell trying to dissuade women from entering the killing centers. There are pregnancy care centers that provide assistance to women in crisis situations. God’s people run maternity homes for women who would otherwise be homeless or in abusive situations. Thankfully, there are adoption agencies to place the children in forever families, when a mom believes she cannot adequately care for her child(ren).

What will be our turning point? Do we have one? As a society, can we return to the sanity of cherishing human life, grateful for the gift?

Mark Harrington, among others, reiterates that America will reject abortion when America sees abortion. I hope so, but after reading the stream of death threats these parents got for an accidental misstep that caused the death of an animal, I’m not entirely sure.

Lila Rose is making progress on this front. Her initiatives are changing minds. As are many others. I will hope and pray.