Michelle Gregg: Open Letter Tells Cincinnati Zoo Mom Critics To Back Off
Michelle Gregg (pictured below), the “Cincinnati Zoo mom” as she is otherwise known on search engines and social media, has experienced quite the outpouring of vitriol in the last few days since her 4-year-old son was rescued from a gorilla pit at the cost of the silverback gorilla Harambe’s life.
After the child found his way into the sanctuary, Harambe took interest in him, grabbed the child, and dragged him over water and rocks to an uncertain standoff that ended when zookeepers shot Harambe dead in order to avoid having him harm the child.
Jack Hanna and Jane Goodall, two outspoken animal activists, called the death necessary in order to save the child, but since that time, there has been interest in Michelle Gregg for possible criminal charges.
How, critics say, could a mother possibly allow their child to get that far away from them where the boy could fall into a secured animal sanctuary?
Prosecute #MichelleGregg!! Justice for #harambe these are the faces of criminals! please take their 4 children! pic.twitter.com/05dL1sToyl
— Kristen Kelly (@KristenKellyTV) May 31, 2016
A hail of petitioners — more than 300,000 and counting — have called for Cincinnati Police to take a closer look at Michelle Gregg, according to CNN.
But one blogger has had enough.
Outraged that other moms in particular would be questioning the parenting credentials of Michelle Gregg without knowing the full story, Raeann Pickett penned a scathing indictment of judgmental parent-shamers on the xoJane site Thursday (June 2).
“The idea your child could fall into a gorilla enclosure is horrifying,” Pickett says. “But I’m equally horrified by the hateful comments directed at the toddler’s mother from other moms.”
She calls the phenomenon “Mom guilt,” in which other mothers take a temporary leave of responsibility from their own screw-ups in order to heap burning coals on those living with parenting fails in the spotlight.
“It’s a strong emotion,” she admits. “Guilt manifests itself in such a hideous way when there is another mother or child who does or says something that allows us individually to take a deep breath and say: ‘Thank God it wasn’t my f***-up today.'”
Pickett has even admitted that she in particular has engaged in it before, though she follows that up by stating, “I’m sorry for that.”
She continued,
“It hits when you’re exhausted and impatient, making it nearly impossible to be kind to yourself much less to anyone else. It makes sense that to feel better, you just want to get the monkey off your back, so to speak. It’s much easier to point the finger at the easiest target, and who is easier than than the mom who messed up last?”
Pickett’s defense of Michelle Gregg has garnered a lot of attention since unleashing it four hours ago (as of this post).
She has received close to 250 comments and counting with most of them positive and supportive, though the same could not be said for how some People commenters took to the statement from Michelle Gregg released on May 30.
Rare gorilla #Harambe murdered by @CincinnatiZoo bc kid got in enclosure. Zoo & bad parents shld be held responsible pic.twitter.com/uIQE7L38Ux
— BrettMDecker (@BrettMDecker) May 29, 2016
“The mother should been [sic] shot as appose [sic] to the poor gorilla! it’s all her fault. sorry NOT sorry!” wrote one commenter.
“Are you kidding? Silverback Gorillas are one of the most endangered species on the planet. 4yr old kids are not. So the real question is; why should that kids life be more important than a Gorillas? [sic]” said another.
The public is bitterly divided all the way around. Even among supporters of what the Cincinnati Zoo did to save the child of Michelle Gregg, there is a sense that the parents of the boy should be brought up on charges.
But what do you think, readers? Is Pickett right to defend Michelle Gregg for what happened that day? Sound off in the comments section below.
[Image via Cincinnati Zoo]
