Crooks: Shame of public shaming

In his Smart Bombs column, SR Opinion Editor Gary Crooks comments:

Must be a lot of perfect parents, judging from the avalanche of condemnation for the mother who briefly lost sight of her 3-year-old boy at the Cincinnati Zoo. That momentary lapse led to the death of a gorilla, which had the child in its grasp. It’s a terribly sad tale.

Apparently, the critics have never gotten distracted while keeping vigil over their children. Never felt that twinge of panic when a child briefly disappears at a park, store or other setting. Once at a crowded wave pool, I lost sight of my daughter, who was 7 or 8 years old at the time. I was filled with dread as children bobbed up and down, but I couldn’t locate her. She was briefly underwater, but a gentleman pulled her to the surface.

So, yes, that could’ve been my child who fell into a gorilla enclosure.

Social media shaming is rampant, but nothing new. It also happens with predictable frequency in comments after news articles about traffic accidents and other mishaps.

Schools try to crack down on online bullying. Sadly, adults provide plenty of examples.

Question: So are you one of the perfect parents who criticized the woman whose child entered the gorilla enclosure of the Cincinnati Zoo?