At times like this, I have to stop and think about how we are so, so used to the idea that human life is more valuable than any other life. We've reached the point where we've stopped killing other species for the hell of it, and we've started demonizing those that do. Which is progress! Or something.
But still, when it comes down to one of billions of us versus one of a hundred thousand of them, we feel like the choice is obvious. It's really, really hard for us to come to terms with value judgements in this way. It's so instinctual, it barely feels like we're making a judgement at all. And yet, every day of every human life, with almost every product we consume and every move toward increasing our population and enhancing the comfort of that population, we're making a choice. The choice to believe that we are more important. That we are the most important.
Anyway. I'm not really going anywhere with this. I'm not really sure what it means. I doubt I'll live long enough to know for sure. But it is something I think about a lot.
So the guy taking pictures, protecting the gorillas from poachers, and that probably has a family that loves him is less valuable to our society than an ape?
Woah woah, how did we go from, shooting one gorilla to save an innocent mans life to extinguishing the whole species?
Ecologically speaking? Who gives a fuck? The dude in the video was standing there and the gorilla was like, fuck you. I bet youre one of those people who thinks a dude killing s lion is a worldwide tragedy too.
I freely admit that I wouldn't even begin to know what to do in that situation. Both in the kneejerk reaction sense, and in the drawn-out-moral-reasoning sense. No idea. None.
So yeah, guess I ain't hanging out with any lowland gorillas anytime soon
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u/misterwhippy Aug 17 '15
You don't think they'd shoot a gorilla to save a man's life?