O2


     I wasn’t going to write about this gorilla. I wasn’t going to write about the little boy that somehow found himself in a pit with him. I wasn’t going to write about the shot that killed Harambe. I wasn’t going to do it. The whole thing seemed so absolutely incredulous and absurd that it didn’t even seem worth my time. I know what I believe. I don’t have to write about it. 


    This was my line of thinking…until a situation wrapped its way around me and screamed right  in my face. I couldn’t look away. I couldn’t be silent. And once you understand the depth of what actually happened in that gorilla pit, neither will you. 




~~~~~




 It’s kind of cold in here. They have to keep the fans running because Aaron can over-heat easily. He can also choke, suffocate, starve, and thirst easily. If not cared for properly and thoroughly, Aaron could die. 


  I write this at the foot of his bed where I can see his beautiful blue eyes and hear his vocalizations. I just finished telling him the story of Tangled, and he smiled and reacted the whole way through it. 




        Aaron is unique. When he was still forming in the womb he became detached from his umbilical cord, cutting of the oxygen supply. As a result of this tragic accident, He can’t feed himself, he can’t wash himself, he can’t do anything for himself without someone helping him. He is a dependent. 

    Aaron recently turned twenty one, meaning that the state no longer pays for nursing care within his home. He has had to moved to a nursing home. Since his removal from his home he has gone days without food, fallen from his bed, caught  pneumonia and had blood 

poisoning.




  Not all of this is the nursing home’s fault. They have not been trained to care for those like Aaron. They cannot provide what he needs. There has been willful neglect, yes, but most of it is merely the result of being forced out of his home where he was safe and cared for properly. Why did the state force him to leave the care of his home?







    To answer that, we also must answer why there are protesters standing outside of the Cincinnati Zoo demanding justice for a wild animal that was shot in protection of a four year old child. Why animal rights activists are demanding the police hold the parents responsible

for the “slaughter” of the gorilla that was about to kill their little boy. 

     This a fight against LIFE. We live in a generation that has lost the basic, fundamental sense of worth that a human life holds, and now places the quality of a life equal to the value. Less than, even. 

    Why does the issue of our generations view on human life mean so much to me? Because I see it's effects  playing out before my eyes. Where someone weak, immobile, and dependent is suddenly at the hands of people who no longer deem his life as valuable.




  A wild animal’s life now means more than a young child’s life, and an invalid, immobile person holds less value than a walking, healthy, person. 


    I can walk today. I can feed myself today. I can wash my own body today. But what about  tomorrow? What about the day after that? ACCIDENTS HAPPEN. What if an incident occurs that causes me to dependent on hands wearing blue gloves? 

What if the same thing happens to you? 


   I am not in a gorilla pit today. I am not in danger of being torn apart by a wild animal. But what if —however it may happen—I find myself severely endangered by a wild beast? I would pray my heart out for someone to come and rescue me. And what if someone did come--they had a gun, perfect aim, and then, right at the pivotal moment--they shrug. Put the gun down..and tell me it  was my fault for getting into the situation, and they won’t even think about killing this animal because it’s rare for crying out and oh so beautiful and mighty to behold. 




What if the same thing happens to you? Maybe this particular scenario is far-fetched, but the basic underlying truth remains. 

Human life is no longer worth fighting for. 


   We need HUMAN LIFE ACTIVISTS. We need people who understand the VALUE of a human life and are willing to fight to preserve this life at whatever the cost. You aren’t going to be healthy forever. One day the quality of your life might no longer be up to you. One day you might not be able to form the words you want to say.


Be a voice for life now. Before those who are louder--or, lets just face it-- healthier than you,silence it.