On Saturday May 28, 2016 a 450-pound gorilla was shot and killed at the Cincinnati Zoo. The fatal shots were made in an attempt to save the life of a 3-year-old boy who had fallen into the gorilla’s enclosure. This event has caused a lot of response from the general public regarding everything from animal rights to parental responsibility. People have come out in droves to show their support and put forth condolences for the slain gorilla whose name was Harambe.
This author has great respect and adoration for nature and animals. I see no joy in seeing animals harmed or killed, nor seeing nature destroyed by rapacious human beings with no respect for human life. However, I find it ironic to see so many white people out professing their love for the gorilla (Harambe) that was tragically shot and killed in an effort to save the life of a young boy.
The aforementioned white people have been seen holding up signs saying, “animal lives matter” and “…because his life mattered”. They also have been seen shedding fountains of tears of grief and sorrow. However, where are these (or any) white people when the POLICE viciously murder an African/black person? One place they can routinely be seen is within the comforts of their homes casually giving the murderous police officer/s the benefit of the doubt, or conversely casting doubt upon the African/black person slain by the cop. They may not admit it publicly, however many of these white folks still see African/black people as savage or animalistic. However, unlike Harambe the gorilla, these “animals” are expendable—unless they need their labor within low wage menial jobs.
Where are their signs calling the police murderers each time they have assassinated an unarmed African/black person in cold blood? Where are the masses of white people demanding an end to police routinely murdering African/black, Latino/x, and Native Americans? Where are the collective tears of sorrow from white America?
The answer/s to the above questions is quite simple, much of white America (whether white liberals or white conservatives) could not give a damn about the continued plight the African/black people face each day in their struggle against white supremacy and institutional racism. These evil institutions have undoubtedly taken countless lives from this planet, dating back hundreds of years.
Chattel slavery and colonization are both institutions that Europeans/whites mastered as a means to not only steal land and human bodies, but to also demoralize and subjugate people of color throughout the planet. Imperialist wars of aggression have (and continue to) massacred millions of people in places like Vietnam, Iraq, Libya, and Afghanistan—to name a few of many. And like Harambe the gorilla, those millions were slain in cold blood. Where is the national day of mourning when it comes to the victims of American’s imperialist wars or victims of police brutality?
Much of white America continues to clings to their white privilege and white supremacist ideologies. These institutionalized social constructs help a great many whites feel better more secure about themselves. It is almost like a “club” affiliation that share. The only ritual they need to perform, in order to reap the benefits of this “exclusive” club is to be white, thus the unequal society they have constructed will protect them several of the same oppressive conditions they built for people of color. In essence, they cling to white privilege and the notion of white supremacy as badges of honor and distinction. This is one added reason why there will never be a mass movement of white people demanding justice for an end to the human rights crimes committed against people of color around the globe.
This struggle only needs a critical mass of concerned human beings who not only acknowledge this as a human rights crisis, but also are committed to being consistent in our collective efforts to resist oppression. We then must collectively organize to end systematic oppression, as well as to vanquish it forever. Once we end structural oppression we much put forth the same energy in cultivating a much more humane society, one that respects and honors human life…no matter what the color of its skin. This new society will create a foundation for a much brighter future for the children of today, as well as generations yet to be born. Together, with consistency and solidarity, we can construct a vastly better world!
