Shaun King: Racism has found its way into the Cincinnati Zoo saga

[AtheistCrusader]

226. I'm glad we discussed this.

I'm sorry I was angry with you over this thread and that specific claim you made at first. I feel you've substantiated the claim.

Until this morning, I had no idea that the parents or anyone involved, was anything but white, based on the video. I won't detail my opinion of what I understood to be the quality of the parents before this thread appeared in my feed, but I will say it was uncharitable, and has not changed for the better or worse. I view it as gross negligence. I based that on my experience as a parent, and the assumptions I made when the story broke and the video was first available, so I stand by that. My outrage ratcheted up, not with the details on race or the family, but on seeing people move to defend the parents, and the manner in which they did so. Not very nice of me, I'll admit. But again, as a parent, I have strong opinions on the stewardship we have over our children. I am a custodian of his safety, and a steward of his development. I don't own him. He's not mine. He is his own person, and I am lucky enough to be the person to guide him, and help him reach his potential. Failing in my task would bring about my self-destruction. Encountering parents with other priorities and worse, people that excuse it in any fashion is.... vexing to me.

That the narrative of the story nationally is shifting, and the focus landing there, on race and the common sordid details that yellow journalism couples to it, is troubling to me. It is, actually MORE newsworthy than the zoo/gorilla story itself. I hope you believe me when I say it is utterly deplorable, and honestly, it frightens me about the upcoming election. Public opinion is quite malleable, and can be turned in unexpected ways, by parties that are not easy to initially identify. That's incredibly dangerous. The web of media ownership, foreign and local, enables that state. I don't know what to do about it. They say sunlight is a disinfectant, but the sunlight shed by the story you cited... is it even a fraction of 'enough' to do it?

Edit: As a peace offering, I offer you this excellent work by Amanda Palmer, calling out the daily mail for it's bullshit. (NSFW)