General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Family Mad After Dolphin Bites Girl at SeaWorld, But 8-year-old broke the rules (video) [View all]dballance
(5,756 posts)No one expects "absolute obedience" from a child. That would be ridiculous. In fact it would be totally counterproductive to what I believe is one of the the very natural ways we learn - trial and error. And by the same token I don't think any one should expect complete and total safety provided by corporations such as Sea World.
As a parent if you allow your child to feed wild animals you must expect there might be unintended consequences. Those dolphins in that tank are not pet puppies and kitties. They are captured wild animals.
So let's turn to the "child isn't an 'it' or a thing" commentary. What exactly do you mean when you state that "they are people, every bit as good and worthy as anyone. And, in many cases, more so." I certainly agree they are as good and worthy as anyone. But why "more so?"
What's this delusional evaluation we seem to put on the lives of children over adults? Why exactly is the life of an 8 year-old more valuable than the life of an 80 year-old? I never got the whole "women and children first" thing. That's so sexist and agist. Perhaps that 80 year-old is a researcher and next week would have found the cure to cancer. But, she had a little heart attack and the doctors tried their best but decided it was "her time."
The 8 year-old got hit by a car on his bike because he didn't pay attention to what his parents told him and rode in the street anyway. He was life-flighted by helicopter to the nearest trauma center. About a million dollars later - through Medicaid since his parents are unemployed - they made the horrible decision to accept he was brain dead and remove the life support.
So tell me. Tell me how you value a person's life. I can't tell you how. But I can damned sure say every person's life is worthy and I'll never make a statement like "And, in many cases, more so" referring to the worth of one person's life over another's.