Steve Benson for June 01, 2016

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    Darsan54 Premium Member almost 8 years ago

    Though lamentable, the situation is not a simplistic as this cartoon portrays.

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    Zen-of-Zinfandel  almost 8 years ago

    “The zoo isn’t a playground.”

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    habfan40  almost 8 years ago

    if the child was killed all would be asking why they did not shoot

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    Flash Gordon  almost 8 years ago

    The 400 pound muscular primate was tossing the kid around like a rag doll, like the “powers that be” do to us.

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    Crabbyrino Premium Member almost 8 years ago

    Sorry, the parent holds ultimate responsibility. She should be charged with neglect. She admitted that the child wanted to go “play” with the nice monkey. She had charge of several children with only two eyes. What was she thinking?!

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    Simon_Jester  almost 8 years ago

    Just be glad he didn’t fall into the CHIMPANZEE cage. They’re known to tear each other’s kids to pieces.

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    Kraigko  almost 8 years ago

    Monday morning quarterbacks weren’t there and didn’t train for this situation, that being said.We live in a blame somebody but myself society and the one child out of 4 she should have been watching the most was this one.She is to blame.

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    alexzabala  almost 8 years ago

    I saw the video, Steve, the gorilla dragged the boy in the water in a dangerous fashion. The gorilla was not intending to hurt the boy, I get it, but it’s a case of not knowing his own strength.

    But your cartoon make it seem like the zoo people were the murderers. They didn’t have much time to consider the ‘what if’s’ of the situation.

    If Harambe would have unintentionally seriously hurt the boy….what would today’s comic look like?

    The rifle should be pointed at the mother of the boy…(just not pulling the trigger) I read that the police are investigating her actions. Time will tell

    No matter how you look at it, this was a tragedy. Poor Harambe, he meant well….but…

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    HabaneroBuck  almost 8 years ago

    I hope they can successfully utilize the preserved seed of Harambe and move on from this incident. I don’t blame the zoo, and you know they love the animals more than any of us.

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    alexzabala  almost 8 years ago

    That was tongue-in-cheek humor…..but what would you know about that? LOL!!

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    Kraigko  almost 8 years ago

    Steve, wife and I raised 2 kids and watched many of their friends.Never once did we take our eye off of the group.Our kids friends still come by our house, we were the place they wanted to come to.Pool, with no fence, yes we taught them how to swim at an early age.Camping at the lake with our boats, in remote areas.Trips to the ZOO!Not one problem.Parroting or parenting.Answer me this.

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    shakeswilly  almost 8 years ago

    They should have attempted to tranquilize the ape first, and then IF he became agitated and violent shot and killed him. This species is among our closest relatives on earth, and also critically endangered. Human lives come first always, but couldn’t we have extended this little courtesy to Harambe ?

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    Kraigko  almost 8 years ago

    Steve, I am happy for you.You and wife did a great job.I didn’t need any more kids, thank you.So there, I guess we can both have smiles on our faces.BTW, cartoons like yours are supposed to cause intellectualdebate, so far so good.I have handled alot of things that don’t pertain to you or this cartoon, well.

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    Mr. Blawt  almost 8 years ago

    The zoo was right to shoot the gorilla once the child fell in the cage. The incident was not the gorilla’s fault. This is a devastating loss to the zoo. The animal has paid with it’s life for humans to use it as entertainment, then when the boy fell into the enclosure had to be put down. The problem here is the gorilla was in captivity in the first place. It is no place for a gorilla or other primate. A sideshow display for people to gawk at until one of them gets too close and the animal is put down. This is no way to treat other beings on our shared planet.

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    Kraigko  almost 8 years ago

    Steve, did you repeat yourself on purpose?hey, I’d like to sit and have a cup of joe someday, if you are ok with that.I live in Tempe.

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    Kraigko  almost 8 years ago

    Steve, sounds like you’re bragging, good for you on your parenting, and you’re preaching to the choir.Regarding things done with the kids and grand kids, my son just graduated NAU early cum laude on the deans list and is enrolling in Med school.Daughter is getting married in October, so I don’t have any grand kids yet.

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    Lyman Elliott Premium Member almost 8 years ago

    The important thing most people forget is that animals in a zoo are not pets, and that ANY large animal, be it a gorilla, lion, tiger, elephant or killer whale, can kill a person just by being playful.

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    stevebenson  almost 8 years ago

    Yes, the gorilla was strong but somehow did not see fit to kill the little boy.

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    Kraigko  almost 8 years ago

    Steve, WOWI didn’t realize you were so thin skinned.Reason i came to your doodles is, I enjoyed the banter.Apparently you cannot move on from my original text.I was just being honest, and by the way as a boy scout, it’s one of my best characteristics.Well, good bye

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    stevebenson  almost 8 years ago

    To Kraigko:.

    Wow. You’re back yet again..

    So, you say you now want to "banter"about cartoons you told me earlier you couldn’t stand—so much so that you said you quit reading the newspaper..

    You’re still reading those same cartoons—only now on a comic strip site. Same song, second verse.

    .Who’s really the thin-skinned one? Lordy, you keep coming here to complain about my cartoons, despite having said you’d sworn them off. If you don’t want replies to your anti-cartoon critiques of my work, then exercise some self-control and quit weighing in against them..

    You need to take some withdrawal medication..

    (And, by the way, I was an Eagle Scout, so honesty backatchya)

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    Dtroutma  almost 8 years ago

    An awful lot of Monday morning quarterbacks must have stayed at a Holiday Inn Express? So many “experts” who saw a news story a couple years ago.

    It reached a point where the professionals had to make a hard decision because a human life was at risk. Sad, but they did their jobs, and no, the screaming crowd wasn’t helping based on the behavior of the animal.

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    rossevrymn  almost 8 years ago

    Really? Infantile cartoonist.

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