Like everyone else I'm deeply saddened by the toddler that was killed by an alligator at Disney World. It's horrible, it's a tragedy and something very important to remember-it's an accident.
No one is giving much sympathy for the alligator that was killed, unlike the gorilla that was shot a few weeks ago. I guess gorillas are viewed as more cuddly and lovable than alligators. Personally I've always loved reptiles and I think they get a bad rap. But that's just me.
The odds of being attacked by an alligator in Florida is about 1 in 2.8 million. In other words, it's probably not going to happen. That doesn't mean you shouldn't use common sense near water. Some people down here don't let their kids swim in anything other than pools, and while I don't agree with that, I don't disagree either.
That brings me to parenting. I am not a parent so take this with a grain of salt-but the most annoying thing about this situation is everyone judging the parenting skills of both the parents in the Cincinnati Zoo incident and the recent Disney incident. Accidents happen-yes, even to you and yes, even deadly ones. Parents have many moments of revelation in their parental journey, but two huge ones must be the realization that you aren't raising the next Einstein and two, even the best parents aren't perfect, they try for good enough. When the first baby is born most parents are convinced that their kid will be "the one" that cures cancer and brings peace to a fractured world. Next they think they'll be perfect parents who will never make mistakes. The best parents quickly realize that both thoughts are untrue.
The alligator attacking the toddler really could have happened to any family. There but for the grace of God go you in this case. This poor family has suffered enough and the last thing they need are nasty people saying "Oh, you were negligent! That's not what I would have done!" Actually, it's probably exactly what you would have done.
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