Cincinatti Zoo officials shoot and kill gorilla after child falls into enclosure

[Goldwater]

Why is this vote so close? What were they supposed to do, let the gorilla kill the child?

[Goldwater]

No; at the end of the day, the gorilla was not at fault. (Sane)

Like BRTD said, the fault is probably a combination of the parents and the zoo, so yeah the gorilla wasn't at fault. However, that doesn't mean they can just let the child die due to the negligence of the parents and the zoo.

[Goldwater]

How does it feel to know that Newt Gingrich agrees with you guys?

Guilt by association FTW!

[Goldwater]

As much as 'speciesism' is frankly annoying,

I thought you identified as a humanist.

I am. I don't see why I should lack concern for the wellbeing of animals given that animal husbandry is one of the hallmarks of what makes us human.

Lack of concern for the wellbeing of animals is not the issue here. I don't think anyone here is arguing it's OK to kill gorillas for fun.

My point is that, if the word humanism has any meaning, it means attaching the highest intrinsic moral value to the human person. And this, in turn, entails that the only moral choice is to protect the human's life over the animal's regardless of the specifics of a situation.

I think this is the part most people are taking issue with. At least, I know it's the part I am.