Why must there always be a villain?
Hundreds of parents have taken their eyes off their kids by a zoo pen; this time one happened to get away and fall in.
Dozens of trainers have interacted with a gorilla throughout it’s life without incident; this time it wasn’t clear if the animal was aggressive.
The people there- forced to make the choices and evaluate the situation- decided that there was danger and that a human life was more important than a gorilla’s. They weren’t poachers or hunters; they were vets and animal keepers. And they made a choice in an un-winable situation.
It was an accident. An accident that the kid fell in. An accident that the gorilla appeared hostile. Maybe both.
But in the end- no matter how it happened- it was a tragedy and the real compassion should be for everyone involved. The parents who will always carry the guilt of that one time they took their attention away. The kid who first hand saw an animal killed. The staffer who’s life has been dedicated to animal care forced to take the shot. And the dozens of bystanders who’s dreams may be haunted by what they saw that day.
Not every story has a villain. Sometimes, tragedy just takes place. We shouldn’t need to find blame, find someone or something that must be pointed at to carry the fault. We shouldn’t need a villain.
But we do.
Even if we have to make one up.
