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geek tragedy

(68,868 posts) Thu Jul 30, 2015, 01:09 AM Jul 2015

Cecil the Lion Has Nothing to Do With Your Politics

http://www.newrepublic.com/article/122410/cecil-lion-has-nothing-do-your-politics

An outpouring of indignation over the killing of Cecil the Lion has unleashed a cross-ideological pandemic of whataboutism. The liberal expression is well represented by this Jelani Cobb tweet.

jelani cobb @jelani9
I effing hate that they killed that lion. Also hate that dentist could've shot an unarmed black teen and we wouldn't be having this convo.
11:22 AM - 29 Jul 2015
895 895 Retweets 795 795 favorites

Meanwhile, a whole bunch of conservatives are arguing that anyone outraged by the killing of a lion should be at least as outraged over the fact that Planned Parenthood preserves fetal tissue from abortions for medical research.

Yep, we've seen those (plus vegangelism and other attention-seeking kvetching.

Generating a consensus here is easy, precisely because it’s a single incident that occurred in a gray area–free realm. The act itself was cowardly. It was undertaken by a person from our country. And it is considered a great loss to a lot of people without any discernible upside. People are right to be disturbed by it, even if they expend no emotional energy whatsoever condemning police violence, abortion, meat-eating, hunting, or Donald Trump.

Apparently it needed to be explained that the killing of an iconic lion isn't analytically similar to abortion and police brutality.

8 replies

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Highlight:

Cecil the Lion Has Nothing to Do With Your Politics (Original Post) geek tragedy Jul 2015 OP

i think the politics can be more geopolitical and especially when it comes to africa JI7 Jul 2015 #1

I can't imagine what this feels like for people in Zimbabwe. geek tragedy Jul 2015 #3

some people live in a world where there are only 2 possibilities instead of a universe of infinite msongs Jul 2015 #2

More like they live in a world where they want to control others Scootaloo Jul 2015 #4

publicans should be barred from advanced sciences. no drs. no electric, no phone. let them pansypoo53219 Jul 2015 #5

It's perception Depaysement Jul 2015 #6

Humans aren't seen as innocent as animals, if Cecil was smoking a cigarette and had an attitude... uponit7771 Jul 2015 #7

+infinity (nt) LostOne4Ever Jul 2015 #8

JI7

(89,252 posts)

1. i think the politics can be more geopolitical and especially when it comes to africa

Reply to geek tragedy (Original post)

Thu Jul 30, 2015, 01:19 AM

Jul 2015

and destroying parts of it for certain people's pleasure . although this guy did the same with some bears in the US but i guess they feel like they can get away with it more in other places.

geek tragedy

(68,868 posts)

3. I can't imagine what this feels like for people in Zimbabwe.

Reply to JI7 (Reply #1)

Thu Jul 30, 2015, 01:24 AM

Jul 2015

One of their most cherished national treasures, snuffed out like a street rat by a sociopathic American dentist tossing a little money around. Humiliation along with degradation.

msongs

(67,417 posts)

2. some people live in a world where there are only 2 possibilities instead of a universe of infinite

Reply to geek tragedy (Original post)

Thu Jul 30, 2015, 01:19 AM

Jul 2015

possibilities

Scootaloo

(25,699 posts)

4. More like they live in a world where they want to control others

Reply to msongs (Reply #2)

Thu Jul 30, 2015, 02:38 AM

Jul 2015

That's what the "Why are you talking about X instead of Y?!?!" argument amounts to, an effort by someone to dictate and control what you are "allowed" to think and express.