Casting Stones
There sure has been a lot of casting stones this weekend over the situation with the four year old little boy and the gorilla. I’ll admit when I first saw the video footage from the media, it did appear that the gorilla was being gentle with the little boy. That is until I saw what the news media edited out on their video! It wasn’t until another news station out of the UK posted footage of the gorilla dragging the little boy through the water that changed all of that.
I know everyone is up in arms about the mother being at the zoo with other children and taking her eyes off of this little one. We all know what resulted after the boy made his way into the enclosure, fell into the moat, as bystanders watched in horror of what was unfolding right before their eyes.
What angers me is that the news media only posts what they want you to see. They aren’t giving you the full story, and yet they expect you to base your opinions on what they report. Having not seen the extended video until much later, I was outraged that they would kill this “protective” gorilla. When I saw the gorilla in the unedited video yanking the child like a rag doll, my opinion quickly changed.
I am an animal lover through and through. It pains me to think that we just celebrated this gorilla’s 17th birthday a few days before this happened, and now, he is dead as a result of this tragic event.
The mother was heard in the video saying, “Mommy’s here.” “Stay calm.” “Mommy loves you.”
I honestly believe she was frightened for her little boy’s safety, yet she was trying to keep him calm so he did not agitate the gorilla.
The question a lot of people are asking is where was “Mommy” minutes before the little boy made his way through the enclosure? In their minds, she was negligent by not watching the boy who just expressed an interest in going to play in the moat. I’m sure she never in her widest dreams would have imagined him gaining access to the enclosure to do just that. Yet, he did.
Then the next question others are asking is WHY wasn’t the enclosure secure enough to prevent ANY one from getting inside in the first place?
I imagine the mother feels just awful about this, and I’m certain the zoo feels awful about it as well.
Why aren’t we extending grace to BOTH instead of being outraged and casting stones?
It is a very sad and unfortunate situation that ended in the tragic loss of a 17 year old gorilla. I loved seeing pictures of this beautiful Silverback, yet I realize his size and strength! The four year old boy was no match for this gorilla, and I’m just thankful that the little boy’s life was spared.
There is argument as to WHY they didn’t use a tranquilizer gun on the gorilla. Why was it necessary to KILL the gorilla? I once questioned this myself until I realized that no one knows what effect the tranquilizer would have had on the gorilla. Furthermore, the tranquilizer would not have worked immediately on a gorilla that size! I think of the times we’ve had our donkey and horses sedated for procedures that were being done on them. When the donkey was castrated last year, none of us knew what this donkey was going to do. Everyone stood way back as the vet and his technicians administered the sedation. Even then, they made sure to stay clear of him until they could see how it was going to affect the donkey. The same was done when the vet and the techs sedated our horses so they could float their teeth at the beginning of the year. You just never know how an animal will react, and it is best to stay out of their way until you do! Further, just as I saw with the donkey and horses, these animals weigh over a thousand pounds, so it is going to take longer for the sedation to work. It did not happen instantaneously with the donkey and horses, and it would NOT have been instant with the gorilla either.
I feel the zoo officials did what they had to do in order to spare the little boy’s life.
There is argument now that the mother should be charged due to the death of the gorilla. We hold animals in captivity for our viewing pleasure. We pay good money to go into zoos around the nation to look at these wild and often times extinct animals. If the mother is going to be charged and have to pay for the death of this gorilla, what about the suicidal man that jumped into the lion exhibit a few weeks ago?
I know for me, I try to keep an eye on my children at all times, especially when we are out in public! For whatever reason, this mother took her eyes off of her adventurous child, or maybe he scrambled from her sight so fast that she was unable to grab him before he went through the enclosure and fell into the moat.
It is beyond frustrating that people seemingly act irresponsible and innocent people, or animals in this case, are hurt or even killed! The gorilla was going about his day being on display as others around took pictures, talked to him, etc., and then a foreign object falls near him. I’m sure the gorilla was curious, yet also wishing to protect his habitat. The next we saw unfold in the edited and unedited versions of the video. I’m certain the little boy was in danger or else the zoo officials would not have taken the action that they did. Yet, we’re still left frustrated over it! However, if this was your child, I am certain you would want the zoo officials to do just what they did in this case to spare your child’s life. I wish both of their lives would have been spared, but sadly, this was not possible.
Should the mother have been watching her child? YES! Should the enclosure have been where no human could have gained access? YES! There is fault on BOTH sides, but pointing fingers will NOT bring this 17 year old gorilla back to life nor will it erase the injuries the boy sustained from the fall and being dragged through the water by the gorilla. Hopefully, it will teach the mother to keep a better watch over her children. I can only hope that this will leave a lasting impression on the CHILD also so that he will obey in the future! And lastly, I hope that zoos every where will look at ALL of their enclosures to ensure that no one can gain access after these two incidents within weeks of each other where humans were able to get inside with the wild animals.
At a time like this, let’s stop casting stones. Instead, mourn the loss of a gorilla that entertained so many people in the 17 years he was alive, AND whisper thanks to God for sparing the life of this four year old little boy who has so much living left to do.
Three Cheers
She came home from school one day filled with excitement and nervous energy all rolled into one.
“Mama, I’ve signed up for the Lip Sync Battle at school!” my 11 year old daughter exclaimed.
I congratulated her and made a point to really encourage her on this. I know she gets a little anxiety about putting herself out there like that, but I am so proud of her not letting this hold her back from something she really wants to participate in!
My daughter and two of her very best friends picked a song that they wanted to do; Hoedown Throw Down by Hannah Montana. My daughter asked for my help with the choreograph for the song even though the video had some movements that they could have just copied. I really liked how my daughter wanted to make her own movements, and I thought it added so much more to their performance.
She and her friends practiced at school as much as they could, and I caught glimpses of my daughter practicing at home, in the car, and even at the grocery store. She was so into this and wanted to do a good job. She would get embarrassed when she realized I was watching, and she would stop. I wondered how this would go on the actual day of the Lip Sync Battle. I told her that she was doing a great job and just needed to give it all she’s got. Dance like no one was watching. Just get into it because she had this! She practiced so much that she knew every word to the song and every movement flowed!
I asked her one evening what she and the other girls were going to wear for their performance. She just sat there as if in deep thought, so I suggested that they wear plaid shirts like we wear when we go horseback riding from time to time. Her eyes brightened and grew wider as she almost jumped from her chair as she said, “And we can get cowboy hats, too!” Oh yes, she was all into it now! Having just purchased a cheap cowboy hat for my husband from Party City for a New Year’s Eve party, we knew where to go to get two more for the other girls! Her friends were so excited when she told them the next day at school! The girls didn’t all have plaid shirts, though, so they worried over that until I told them that they could just use my shirts. I had plenty! They literally jumped up and down with excitement when my daughter told them that we had the costumes covered. All they had to do was supply the boots. They said they could handle that part, so their costumes were now complete! That was one less thing for them to worry over.
After much anticipation, the day of the Lip Sync Battle arrived. I walked into the school with my daughter that Monday morning with shirts and hats in hand. My daughter sat nervously at her desk in the classroom as she waited for her friends to arrive. The clock ticked slowly with the hands hardly moving it seemed. I told her it was going to be just fine. Her friends would be there! And sure enough, a few minutes before the bell sounded, her friends walked into the classroom. My daughter melted at her seat for a second before she jumped up and hugged her friends exclaiming, “Thank GOD you’re HERE!”
I began slipping the plaid shirts over what they were wearing, fixing their boots so they could be seen, and placed the black cowboy hats on their heads. They were all set!
Before they went on, I told the girls that no matter what happens KEEP GOING! If you mess up, don’t make it noticeable at all. Just keep the movements flowing and moving right along. Keep dancing!
AND … they did!
Little did we realize that, as they kicked off the Lip Sync Battle, the music would fail on the sound system! Oh no! The girls were absolutely amazing, though, as they did exactly what I said and THEY KEPT GOING! With barely any sound coming out of the speakers, they danced right along and sang the words enough to get them through the performance. The audience realized what happened with the sound, and although a few laughed at first, they were amazed when the girls just kept going and doing their thing! I was BEAMING with pride as I watched those girls on stage! They worked hard, and this moment in time was not going to be ruined by speakers that failed to work.
As they exited the stage at the end of their performance, everyone began cheering for them. Some even commented that they couldn’t believe they kept going! I was sitting in the very front watching it all unfold, and I believe I may have been one of the loudest when I cheered for them!
My pride and joy strutted her stuff on stage with her friends!
The show went on, and the sound was fixed for the next song. The girls were all worried that they embarrassed themselves, but I assured them that they actually did the opposite! They amazed the audience when they did not give up or stop midway through the performance due to the lack of sound!
After a few songs played and the other students got a chance to perform, one of the teachers came over to us. He apologized for the issue with the sound but said the girls would get a chance to do it again now that the sound was fixed. Woo Hoo!! The three girls held hands and were smiling all over themselves for this opportunity! And sure enough, an announcement was made for the judges to disregard the opening act with the sound issues as they were closing out the Lip Sync Battle with their performance once again!
These three little girls were amazing to watch on stage!
The crowd cheered, and there I was once again beaming with pride!
Decision time was among us, and the judges gathered to tally their votes. Then the elimination started on stage. It came down to my daughter’s team and another team. They huddled together, fingers crossed, and their lips mouthing, “Please … please … please” as they waited in great anticipation for the results. The winner was announced, and by ONE POINT the other team won! Ugh!! Disappointment washed over my daughter and her friends, but I immediately joined them when they returned to their seats. I made a special point to let them all know how hard they worked, how it showed, and how incredibly proud I was of all three of them! They were in second place! That’s not too shabby considering there were at least 10 to 12 acts performing that day!
After they returned to their classroom, I went to get them a little something for their hard work. Coming back into the school with gift bags, their faces lit up once more. They were disappointed for a moment but quickly got over that when they focused on how good they did! It helped when others complimented them as well.
My heart still swells with pride every time I watch the video, and I’d like to share it with you now. Click here for the video I posted on Facebook.
Three cheers for these incredible girls!
Marriage Survey
Let’s face it. Marriage is hard work. Honestly, the struggle is real in a LOT of marriages these days. But, take heart. There is hope!
Focus On The Family has been helping families and marriages for many, many years. Now is no different as they have a marriage survey for you to take where it will reveal the strong points in your marriage first. Then, it will reveal the items it feels you are weaker in resulting from your answers to their questions. They go a step further, though, and provide information on how to improve in those areas. There are books recommended as a resource to get you headed in the right direction. The ultimate book is God’s Word, though!
I took the survey just a little bit ago, and I was pleased with the strong points in my marriage such as having a commitment to each other, spending quality time together, and intimacy between us. Where we struggle is, honestly, in the spiritual department and with not surrounding ourselves with couples in our community for a source of support. We lean heavily on each other, and to me, that isn’t a bad thing at all. But, the survey did suggest that we needed more outside support within our community. We did try this a few years ago with a small group at our church. When we were having some issues two years ago, though, it seemed to do more harm than good when we reached out to those around us. The more people that got involved, the worse it was! Opinions from others were flying back and forth on both sides with a great number suggesting that we go against what our hearts wanted: each other! We believed in our marriage even when those on the outside did not, and we did NOT give up on our marriage nor each other!
Spiritually, we have a ways to go. The husband is the head of the house and the leader, and I believe my husband desires to do good in this area. He wasn’t really raised being involved in the church or having a relationship with Christ like we’ve both realized we needed all of this time. He gave his life to the Lord a few years into our marriage, praise the Lord for that! However, I think he feels he isn’t equipped to lead us spiritually. I strongly disagree. While I have heard the saying about being a baby in your spiritual walk still drinking milk, as he grows in his faith he will become more comfortable in that leading role. Once he grows and matures as a Christian, he will walk confidentially as the head of our house and the spiritual leader for our family.
The survey did not really reveal anything earth shattering that we didn’t already know we needed to work on, but it was interesting to participate in the survey. I enjoyed reading the results and seeing the recommendations as far as reading material to help bridge the gap of where we are and where we’d like to be spiritually. I really did appreciate the resources listed and plan to check them out.
If you have five minutes, would you consider taking the survey, answering the questions honestly and then taking action on the areas you may be weak on in your marriage? If so, please click here to take you to the Focus On The Family Marriage Survey.
I’d like to see everyone’s marriages improve so that you’re close in all areas: emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and physically. It can happen!
Marriage isn’t just 50/50 as a lot of people like to say. It takes both of you going above and beyond to make your marriage soar to new heights. You CAN keep the fire burning in your marriage.
Even if there have been issues in your marriage previously where you felt like a wedge was driven between you and your spouse, God can heal your marriage if you turn to Him. We are living proof of it as we are closer now than we have ever been in our entire marriage! Two years ago, honestly, we were not sure that would be possible. We give God all the praise, honor, and glory for this because HE turned the problems we had into stepping stones to a love beyond our wildest dreams. We know for a fact that HE is able, if you trust in Him and turn your lives and marriage over to Him.
So what are you waiting for? Take the marriage survey, discuss the results, and join together to utilize the resources they recommend to improve your marriage. No, I am not receiving any commission or any blogger perks for recommending Focus On The Family, their survey, or the resources offered. I simply love what Focus On The Family is all about and wanted to share with others who may be interested.
Here’s to living, loving, and enjoying life together with your spouse!
