In the last few weeks there have been two stories in the mainstream media highlighting possible dangers that could befall children if families should dare venture out for risky outings like the zoo or Disney World.
The first was about a three-year-old boy who fell into the gorilla enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo. Fortunately the child walked away with a few bumps and scrapes and one heck of a story to tell at his wedding someday. Sadly, it resulted in the tragic death of resident gorilla Harambe, whom officials shot out of fear for the boy's safety.
The second was about two-year-old Lane Graves who drowned near the Disney World resort in Florida when an alligator dragged him under the water.
As so often happens when these types of horrible tragedies occur, there is substantial debate as to where we should collectively point the finger of blame. But why do we need to blame anyone at all?
Maybe it's all of the crime dramas that are on television now, but it seems like many people are just looking for someone to ship off to the gallows for their pound of flesh.
In Lane's case, it amounts to nothing more than a terrible accident. The area where the child was wading was said to have “no swimming” signs posted, and many argue that a “Beware of alligators” sign should have been hung as well. I find myself very confused by these folks.
Certainly Disney tries to maintain its parks the best it can, but it isn't like there are attendants patrolling every square inch of the park. I'm sure that would kill the magic just a smidge. It would be the equivalent of someone going for a walk through pathways in somewhere like Canmore and encountering a bear, then acting surprised that bears live in the forest.
One may not expect alligators in a metropolitan area like Orlando, but it isn't like the city itself is isolated from the surrounding ecosystem. It isn't like nature stops being nature when you hit the invisible city limits.
Officials went in search of the alligator, killing four others in the process. But what do they hope to do by exterminating alligators, an apex predator that hasn't evolved for eons? It was doing what alligators do.
Other people are calling for charges to be laid on the grieving parents of little Lane, which seems unnecessary and shockingly callous. What benefit would that have? What good would it do? The couple have lost their child and, in my humble opinion, have suffered enough. They will have to carry the memory of the incident with them the rest of their lives. It isn't like charges would deter people from having lapses in judgement in the future. We are human, after all.
There is an inherent need in humans to find out the “why” any time something unexpected happens. But sometimes life doesn't play by the rules.
Sometimes accidents happen and young children die. Sometimes there is no why and nowhere to lay blame. Some, like Lane Graves, are mere victims of circumstance.
Darlana Robertson is a twentysomething writer from Calgary and a former Central Alberta resident.
