# 12 year old killed by gator, humans respond **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 20, 2003, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12-year-old-killed-by-gator-humans-respond/183138 "2003-06-20T12:34:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Aries28](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Aries28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aries28)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12-year-old-killed-by-gator-humans-respond/183138/41 "2003-06-20T13:45:47Z")
Yes…I agree. The child should have known better. But that doesn’t justify the attitude of “I’m not sorry the kid died” . Maybe I’m wrong but I just don’t see saying that you don’t care that a child died EVEN if he was responsible in a way for his death. I don’t think we should go out and kill all the gators but I can see where the people in the community are coming from. I don’t mean any disrespect towards **Ratty** for his opinion. I was merely pointing out that if you do not have a parent’s heart then I can see where you might not feel the same about this situation and appear more concerned over an animal. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12-year-old-killed-by-gator-humans-respond/183138/42 "2003-06-20T13:46:06Z")
**In Conceivable** - I remember reading an article about canoeing in some SE swamp, and they said something about not fishing around gators - or in areas where there were a lot of gators, because it would make the gators identify small boats with food. Closest I can come from my grey-matter alone. **gobear** - Thank you. Darwin’s elves. I love it. Really has the makings of a username or somesuch. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12-year-old-killed-by-gator-humans-respond/183138/43 "2003-06-20T13:49:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cuauhtemoc \* > \*\*What does it say about us that we don’t consider death to be a fact of life, but a problem to be rectified? \*\* It says that thanks to modern medical care, a stable healthy food supply, and excellent sanitation that we don’t have to deal with death on a daily basis. Yay us. > [@](#): > > \*\* > _Not every injury has a remedy, dammit!_ If these alligators truly represent a danger to residents - by which I mean residents who _follow the rules designes to protect them from the 'gators_ - then I suppose it can’t be avoided. But if this is just revenge slaughter, then it’s stupid and pointless cruelty. \*\* I think it might be reasonable to kill gators who come to close to residential areas. They’re not endangered so why not? I have no problems killing vipers who come to close to my house and I have yet to be bitten. Marc ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12-year-old-killed-by-gator-humans-respond/183138/44 "2003-06-20T13:50:06Z")
Oh yeah. I have 3 kids, aged 12-15. I certainly cannot predict how I would respond to one of them dying young, especially violently. But I can imagine that if they died primarily as a result of their own stupidity, I would be extremely disappointed at their stupidity, and very critical of myself for not having taught them better (whether or not in reality I could have done anything else.) I truly believe that if I blamed anyone, it would be me and my stupid dead kid. I hope I would not go looking for a scapegoat to blame, whether human, animal, or inanimate. ---
**Author:** ![Triss](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Triss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triss)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12-year-old-killed-by-gator-humans-respond/183138/45 "2003-06-20T13:53:31Z")
Wow. Incredibly mis-placed sense of conscience and compassion some of you people are showing here. Watching too much fucking Walt Disney or something? Why are humans more important than animals? Because they are members of your species, dumbass. Fellow man, and all that. Don’t think so? Just go try living in the wild with all the fuzzy-wuzzy animals, then. Rotsa ruck. Showing stupidity does not equal deserving death. It’s fucking sociopathic to be so blase about the death of a 12 y.o. Some of you are showing an awesome level of stupidity right here in this thread, but I’d still try to pull your deluded butts out of the jaws of a gator. If you _were_ attacked by an alligator, do you really think you would beg people not to kill it? That is, if you had time to do any begging before it drowned you and then swallowed the dripping chunks of your body. Hey, at least your body would be recycled into the sediment to help feed the ecosystem, right? If it killed my kid, you’re fucking right I’d kill it out of revenge. No it wouldn’t bring my kid back, but it wouldn’t be getting anyone else’s kid either. ---
**Author:** ![In\_Conceivable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/4bbf92/32.png) [@In\_Conceivable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/In_Conceivable)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12-year-old-killed-by-gator-humans-respond/183138/46 "2003-06-20T13:55:03Z")
[http://www.floridaconservation.org/whatsnew/region03/gatoraware-sw.html](http://www.floridaconservation.org/whatsnew/region03/gatoraware-sw.html) They were just following FL policy when they killed the seven gators. > [@](#): > > If an alligator is longer than 4 feet and exhibits aggressive behavior, it’s classified as a nuisance and harvested for its meat and hide by a permitted nuisance trapper. Alligators that are larger than 6 feet present the greatest hazard to humans and pets. [quote] > [@](#): > > “Emergency complaints, describing aggressive alligators that threaten children at play, or alligators that pose an immediate threat to public safety, will be given top priority. Regardless, all complaints, emergency in nature or not, will be evaluated and if necessary, we will send a nuisance trapper to harvest the gator,” said Gary Morse, public information director for the FWC’s Southwest Region. > [@](#): > > Since the nuisance alligator program began 23 years ago, the FWC has received 255,149 complaints resulting in 106,257 alligators being harvested statewide by permitted trappers. (And you guys are worried about seven. Where were you when the other 106,250 were killed?) Finally > [@](#): > > Although most people have a natural respect for alligators, some residents and visitors don’t realize that alligators can be a serious threat. They think there is no harm in throwing an occasional sandwich to the large reptiles; but the practice of feeding gators is dangerous, unlawful and contributes to attacks on humans. Feeding an alligator will cause it to loose its fear of people and become a problem, ultimately leading to its destruction by FWC trappers. ---
**Author:** ![Ben\_Hicks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbce88/32.png) [@Ben\_Hicks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ben_Hicks)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12-year-old-killed-by-gator-humans-respond/183138/47 "2003-06-20T13:55:40Z")
> [@](#): > > Interesting. Try replacing “boy” with “alligator” and “reptiles” with “mammals”. Well I’m all cut up about the alligators, but I’d rather cut the alligators up, if for no better reason than it’s our prerogative as the master race to kill whatever the fuck we feel like, whenever the fuck we feel like it. Darwinism in action, babes. They kill one of ours, we kill ten of theirs and hopefully the threat to ours will have been diminished. Survival of the fittest. Fuck 'em. Seems reasonable to me. Then again, I’m not some heartless shrew who seems to view the lives of young children and alligators equivalently. Then again, I’m cursed with the ability to _empathise_ with the drowned child (I also have X-ray vision, and can glow in the dark) so what can you expect? ---
**Author:** ![badmana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@badmana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badmana)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12-year-old-killed-by-gator-humans-respond/183138/48 "2003-06-20T13:56:54Z")
Being an ignorant Canadian in terms of gator encounters here but isn’t his the equivalent to letting your kids play chicken on the freeway? If your kid dies, blame the drivers! Blame the road for not having enough fences and signs and probably a fucking moat. No, 12 year olds still need to be supervised (IMO) so where were the parents? Didn’t they bother to ask what the kid was doing (swimming? Swimming where?). If I was the parents I’d feeling like a fucking failure. They should be blamed for both the kid’s death and the death of 7 gators. ---
**Author:** ![Ben\_Hicks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbce88/32.png) [@Ben\_Hicks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ben_Hicks)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12-year-old-killed-by-gator-humans-respond/183138/49 "2003-06-20T13:57:18Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Cerri_ > I could say much the same of stupid children who haven’t even the sense or self-preservation to get out of the water when his friends TELL him there’s gators closing in on him, and jumps back in the water after having been dragged out by said friends. Yeah but that’d make you quite the heartless bitch, wouldn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![DreadCthulhu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/db5fbb/32.png) [@DreadCthulhu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DreadCthulhu)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12-year-old-killed-by-gator-humans-respond/183138/50 "2003-06-20T14:01:36Z")
Well, while that kid was stupid for swimming near alligators, I am amazed by how callous people in this thread are being for this kids death. If the gators are a threat, they should be removed from the area - if that means killing them, fine with me. Just be sure to give the alligator meat to the needy, so that we can get some positive use out of the overgrown vermin. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12-year-old-killed-by-gator-humans-respond/183138/51 "2003-06-20T14:05:35Z")
I don’t know about this one. It’s a lot more complicated and grey than black and white. Let’s look at a couple of things: 1. The boy was swimming with a couple of other, older boys. For all we know they “dared” him into it. They said they were shouting at him that there were gators in the water, but that he wouldn’t come out. Maybe he thought that they were just trying to freak him out, and he didn’t listen. Should he have been in the water: no. Do boys, particularly early adolescents, do dumb crap like this all the time: yes. It’s a wonder as many males survive to childhood as they do. 2. The gator didn’t eat the boy, but that’s not how gators function. They like to stuff their kill up under a log or something so that the meat gets rotten and tender. Not trying to freak anyone out, it’s just what they do. So it probably would have eaten him, if allowed to do so. 3. Big gators are a threat, in one way shape or from to humans and their pets. If there are ten foot gators around the lake then woe be to the three year old that just wanders along the banks. Or the poodle or housecat that gets too close. Gators are fast in short bursts, so they can take an animal that wanders close to the waer. (Swimming is just asking for it) Gators are beautiful animals, but they are dangerous. If there are humans living nearby then they should probably be culled (and preferrably eaten) when they get above about 6-7 feet in length. 4. On some other level, killing the big gators in that lake will lull some (admittedly dim) folks into believing that it’s safe to go swimming there again. If they hadn’t killed the gators then NO ONE sane would go in that water again for a long time. The kids death would keep them out. Now I can almost see the carful of high school kids jumping in for a quick dip on a dare on a drunked up Friday night. Sad the boy had to die. But kids die for sadder reasons every day. Sad they had to kill the gators, but at least politically I can’t see any other possible response, and it might prevent a future tragedy. Let’s just hope that they don’t exterminate all of the gators in this area. ---
**Author:** ![Triss](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Triss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triss)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12-year-old-killed-by-gator-humans-respond/183138/52 "2003-06-20T14:09:54Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by badmana_ > If I was the parents I’d feeling like a fucking failure. They should be blamed for both the kid’s death and the death of 7 gators. I’m sure they’re feeling quite bad enough without being blamed for the death of their child. Christ, what the fuck is wrong with you people? ---
**Author:** ![Pedro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/919ad9/32.png) [@Pedro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pedro)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12-year-old-killed-by-gator-humans-respond/183138/53 "2003-06-20T14:13:49Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Triss \* > \*\* > Why are humans more important than animals? Because they are members of your species, dumbass. Fellow man, and all that. Don’t think so? Just go try living in the wild with all the fuzzy-wuzzy animals, then. Rotsa ruck._\* The reason I’m smarter than you is that I don’t equate trying to kill me with being bad. That’s a fellow man’s trait. > [@](#): > > **Showing stupidity does not equal deserving death. It’s fucking sociopathic to be so blase about the death of a 12 y.o.** I didn’t say he deserves to die. I do blame him though. > [@](#): > > \*\*If you _were_ attacked by an alligator, do you really think you would beg people not to kill it? \*\* No. Next question? > [@](#): > > **That is, if you had time to do any begging before it drowned you and then swallowed the dripping chunks of your body. Hey, at least your body would be recycled into the sediment to help feed the ecosystem, right?** Right. > [@](#): > > \*\*If it killed my kid, you’re fucking right I’d kill it out of revenge. No it wouldn’t bring my kid back, but it wouldn’t be getting anyone else’s kid either. \*\* Yeah kill them all dumbass. ---
**Author:** ![badmana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@badmana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badmana)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12-year-old-killed-by-gator-humans-respond/183138/54 "2003-06-20T14:23:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Triss \* > \*\*I’m sure they’re feeling quite bad enough without being blamed for the death of their child. > Christ, what the fuck is wrong with you people? \*\* Sorry, I equate this to parents leaving a loaded gun on a table in their house and then going out (and I’m not against guns, just making a point) shouldn’t the parents be blamed if the kid shoots himself? Or better: you know your kid can’t swim, leave him alone in the backyard with the pool uncovered? Reasonable parents, I would like to think, would teach their kids all about pool safety or not to fucking run across the street without looking. Since these people live in Florida, a place known to have gators, a _resonable_ parent should have hammered gator safety into their kids heads. And yes, I know 12 year olds do whatever they want, which is exactly why 12 year olds need a little supervision. If the kid’s friends were taking care of the kid, I retract my statements though. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12-year-old-killed-by-gator-humans-respond/183138/55 "2003-06-20T14:29:32Z")
I can understand killing the one gator that attacked the child. But to kill all of them? Just on general principles? We are talking about a wild animal here, people. An unpredictable animal that acts on instinct. As humans, we bear a responsibility to take care around such animals, since the animals are not smart enough to know that (most of us) mean them no harm. I’m sorry the child is dead. And I think **Shibb** ’s fourth point is very well taken. ---
**Author:** ![Pedro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/919ad9/32.png) [@Pedro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pedro)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12-year-old-killed-by-gator-humans-respond/183138/56 "2003-06-20T14:32:15Z")
I don’t think this is the parents fault either. **Badmana** , cute signature. It’s spelled _grammar_ by the way. ---
**Author:** ![Tony\_Montana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/278dde/32.png) [@Tony\_Montana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tony_Montana)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12-year-old-killed-by-gator-humans-respond/183138/57 "2003-06-20T14:33:49Z")
> [@](#): > > Ivylass > > he’d be playing his Nintendo right now. Bullshit Little boys dont play nintendo anymore. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12-year-old-killed-by-gator-humans-respond/183138/58 "2003-06-20T14:34:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Pedro \* > \*\*I don’t see why human beings in general are more important. Not in my book they aren’t. But anyway why are they being killed then? For revenge? > > \*\* Luckily we don’t all use your book. But if you think aninals are more important than you, be my guest. Does your cat tell you who to vote for? ---
**Author:** ![badmana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@badmana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badmana)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12-year-old-killed-by-gator-humans-respond/183138/59 "2003-06-20T14:38:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Pedro \* > \*\*I don’t think this is the parents fault either. > > **Badmana** , cute signature. It’s spelled _grammar_ by the way. \*\* Shhh, you’re the first one to notice and/or mention it. ---
**Author:** ![Blonde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Blonde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blonde)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12-year-old-killed-by-gator-humans-respond/183138/60 "2003-06-20T14:39:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ben Hicks \* > **it’s our prerogative as the master race to kill whatever the fuck we feel like, whenever the fuck we feel like it.** Wow. Guess that sort of wraps it up. :rolleyes: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12-year-old-killed-by-gator-humans-respond/183138.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12-year-old-killed-by-gator-humans-respond/183138.md?page=4)