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![Boy Killed by Alligator at Disney World: Why is Social Media So Cruel? [VIDEO]](https://victorygirlsblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/boy-killed-by-alligator-disney-world.jpg)
What sliver of hope that may have existed that a toddler snatched by an alligator at a Disney resort in Florida would be found alive was dashed this afternoon. His body was found intact; it is thought that he drowned.
Little Lane Graves, just two years old, was with his family visiting the Grand Floridian Resorts near Walt Disney World. As most of the nation knows by now, Lane was wading along the edge of the Seven Seas Lagoon when he was snatched by an alligator. His father attempted to wrestle with the gator to free his little son, but to no avail.
On cue, social media mobs arose at Twitter, seeking to excoriate the “a**hole” parents. Bad parents!
The #DisneyGatorAttack is a flawed hashtag. It should be #parentstupidityandagatorfollowingitsInstincts
— Cole Kniatt (@cdisey) June 15, 2016
https://twitter.com/MatManz/status/743114413289418752
One would-be Columbo thought that maybe Lane was murdered . . . parents, anyone?
#FloridaGatorAttack
Body of boy found 'intact'
Hmm Umm I'm thinking a homicide investigation is in order— Liquid_atheist (@Liquid_atheist) June 15, 2016
And of course there were those who boo-hooed over the “innocent” alligators that were euthanized in attempts to find Lane’s body. Innocent alligators? Primitive reptiles that are un-evolved eating machines? Please.
I can't fucking stand humanity… #DavyV #DumbFuckingParents #Alligators #FloridaGatorAttack #Orlando pic.twitter.com/lNtA1xtdU7
— Davy V. (@DavyVara) June 15, 2016
And, of course, some people just have to find racial injustice. Because. . . white privilege. Or something.
https://twitter.com/ChantaBSN/status/743217034163412992
Blaze writer Matt Walsh eloquently shamed the Twitter mob:
Our urge to deliver these things says something about us. I’d like to believe it’s rooted in a misdirected desire for justice, but I don’t think that’s the case. I think people simply like to feel superior. And when they find a mother and father weeping over the grave of a child, they think it the perfect opportunity to remind the world that they are far more competent and intelligent than these silly, reckless parents.
It is truly depraved.
I think there’s more than just the need to feel superior. I think much of this is founded in a version of “it can’t happen here.” The very thought of a small child being dragged off by a primitive near-dinosaur is so horrific that humans need to find some reason, some fault with the parents or even with Disney, to help them wrap their minds around this most gruesome of tragedies. It isn’t just that “s**t happens.” There has to be Someone Who Did Something Wrong that led this to happen, otherwise we’re faced with the brutal fact that sometimes random, awful things beyond our control happen to people. There’s a perverse comfort in knowing that somehow we know better than the parents involved in this tragedy, and that we would never do something so foolish, when the cruel truth is that no matter how closely we run our lives and the lives of our children, there will always be risk in life. There is always the chance that we will be visited by some Horrible that will rob us of those whom we love in the most brutal manner, and there won’t be a thing we can do about it.
We pray for comfort for Matt and Melissa Graves, the parents of little Lane Graves. There is no comprehending the depths of the grief they feel right now.
Merle says: I’m still wondering if there were actually warning sign posted. That would sure firm up my opinion of the parents responsibility in this tragedy.
No matter what, their lives are still shattered.
Merle
Kim Quade says: My understanding is that there were no signs posted about alligators, just prohibiting swimming. The little boy was not swimming, just wading at the edge of the lagoon, accompanied by his father.
How were these parents — from Nebraska, as noted in my linked article — supposed to be aware of dangers from alligators?
GWB says: First, as to “how were they to be aware?”:
Really? Do they read/speak English? Do they have tv/cable/internet/friends/newspapers? Everyone knows there are alligators in FL, and that they eat almost anything. I will grant the kid might not have made the connection, but the parents? I’m not blaming the parents, but that’s just a patently silly statement. (I will concede they might have thought a resort was safe, but FL in general? Puhlease.)
Second, wading is swimming when it comes to those sorts of signs. No, that really isn’t clear – you’d think if they wanted people to stay out of the water altogether they would write something like “stay out of the water!” But, from a legal standpoint, most places that I’ve seen, “no swimming” is posted because they want you to stay out of the water entirely. (I got yelled at once for walking in ankle-deep ocean water because the sign said “no swimming”; it was bizarre, but that seems to be the gist.)
Kim Quade says: No, it’s not silly.
Resorts are intended to shut out their customers from the rest of the world. Disney resorts and theme parks have the reputation for having the ultimate safe place for families to travel. I’ve been to Disney World twice, I’ve seen how much control and organization Disney maintains over their properties. Our niece worked at Disneyland in CA; the demands on her were rigid, Everything is controlled for their visitors.
This morning I saw this comment by a mother whose family was at the same place as the Lane family at about the same time:
“I took these pics at the exact spot this happened betw 8 & 830, the incident happened at 9. Helicopters flew overhead til 1 am and were back around dawn. I can’t imagine anyone could sleep knowing that the helicopter was searching for a missing child taken by an alligator. I can’t help but wonder if we played with him, did I talk to his Mom?? How does one go home without your baby in tow? I’ve already seen posts criticizing the parents. I can assure you alligators were not on my mind at all when Channing was in the water. It’s a tiny beach, surrounded by pools, water slides, a restaurant and a fire pit. I can’t conceive that an alligator would be in such a busy, small space.”
Of course the Lane family never expected alligators there. If they allowed their son to wade in nondescript marshes in Florida that would be one thing. But they didn’t, did they?
GWB says: I grant you that a feeling of safety in the resort was likely. (I even said so.) But your wording was more “What? Gators in Florida? Whoulda thunk it?” That was where my hit was aimed.
You’re entirely right about the resort, though.
Brian Brandt says: Just as a point of information, I believe it is common for alligators to sometimes ‘cache’ their prey under water and return to them later. This would account for the child’s body being found intact.
This kind of mindless mouthing off is yet another reason I find Twitter to be a monumental waste of time and refuse to use it.
GWB says: there will always be risk in life
Funny, we were talking about that just yesterday at work. We were discussing the idea of protecting yourself with firearms. Someone commented vaguely in a pro-gun-control direction, and I pointed out that it was impossible to eliminate danger from our lives – it’s a First World conceit to even try.
Given that, it’s vital that we take responsibility for our own safety and care. And, it’s vital that we understand that it’s entirely possible that no one is actually responsible, except that we live in this fallen, sinful world. I like your phrase of “some Horrible” – it conveys the anonymity and impersonal nature of a lot of threats. When a dingo steals your baby, it’s just nature, red in tooth and claw.
Yes, Brian, gators do stash their prey. I think that’s the only reason they hoped to find the boy at all. Bichon Frises, OTOH, are just between-meal snacks and are usually snarfed down on the spot.
Kim Quade says: Thanks, GWB, for appreciating my use of “some Horrible.” When my husband was proofreading my post (as he always does) he thought it was a grammatical error. But you caught my meaning. 😉
OC says: Kim, I wonder if 40 years of increasingly nannystatishness (I made up a word!) and trying to sanitize life to (ridiculously) remove all danger didn’t play a part in the parents not fully realizing what could happen.
I don’t DO social media for just the reasons listed in your article.
Kim Quade says: Interesting point. I think we have come so far from nature that we expect our lives to be sanitized. We no longer live on farms; vaccinations have removed the scourge of epidemics from our children. We hear of things like Ebola and man-eating animals and think those things are only found in third world countries, not ours. And certainly not at “the Happiest Place on Earth,” as Disney has called their parks.
arlene morrell says: I believe it was the responsibility to have had signs posted and fencing around the area disney is a childs haven but then it wasnt for little lane disney dropped the ball this time big. they knew there were alligators in the ponds people took picturea 2 days before in the pond from the balcony. Very sad this happened to this precious angel his life ended because of his trip to his favorite place disney he n his sister. Im sure there r plenty of things that happen in disney we never find out about. This could not be kept quiet.
arlene morrell says: Prayers to Lanes family. He was a beautiful youngster . Disney has to make sure this never ever happens again im sure this will hurt disney quite a bit n i have been there very often stayed at the all-sports n swam in the pools there
Anna says: I’ve been going to Disney since the 70’s all of my sons grew up there with 2-3 trips a year and still enjoy going as adults not once did we ever have our hands or feet in that water, it is black at night and murky during the day, it’s a huge lake. When my kids were small and we were down on the sand watching the fireworks they sat in chairs and strollers if they got restless and did not sit we left the sandy area, it’s no place for a small child to be running around at night and it can be distracting to other guests having a child running around as they try to relax to watch fireworks movie or just get away from crowds. One of the first reports on the news was the sheriff saying the father heard a splash turned around and saw his son, there was no one holding this little guys hand nor standing with in the water, in this incident signs would not have mattered a no swimming sign also means stay out of the water at least it does to the majority of the population however I don’t believe for a minute the parents allowed the boy to get in the water I don’t think he was seen in the water until it was too late. Was it a couple of cocktails or phone distraction, in the time it takes to check or make a text, take a picture, read or post a comment on social media, a 2 year old can be out of site and in trouble. In all honesty I think the parents need to be completely honest with the public to help other parents not make the same mistake when on vacation. I know if we were in Nebraska I would not allow my kids to go in lakes there at 9 at night, so it “appears” the little boy was not in the line of site 100% of the time they were down on the sand and in 30 seconds of lost vision of a child this small could land them into trouble and tragedy. I don’t think it was Disney or the parents fault I think it was the perfect cocktail or alignment for tragedy. God speed little Lane and may the parents find peace and healing. I too had a long road of finding peace and healing from my moms plane crash when I was 16, however I chose to not blame or collect blood money for her death nothing brings our loved ones back from freak incidents and trading we can only try to redeem they’re life and spirit in how we chose to carry on helping others and volunteering helps a lot.
Anna says: In the last sentence the word trading needs to be omitted. I do send out my sincere compassion and empathy to the family.
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