Woe Is Joe! Death Sentence Possible

Little
Joe’s saga continues: (for those of you too lazy to scroll down to yesterday’s
entries, Little Joe is a teenaged 300-lb gorilla
who keeps sneaking out of the house and on Sunday was recaptured at a
bus stop in Dorchester). Zoo officials announced yesterday that they
were boosting security and launching 4 probes. Hey, lighten up, guys.
I’m sure Little Joe doesn’t like being probed any more than you do.

Four separate investigations were launched into zoo security and management
following the startling escape of the 300-pound ape, who bolted out of
the gorilla pavilion Sunday, attacked two people, ambled off the zoo
grounds, and shocked residents by showing up at a bus stop on nearby
Seaver Street.

For Christ’s sake, the guy is reduced to taking public transportation.
Isn’t that ipso facto punishment enough? He was probably hankering for
mussli or tapas, tired of the same ole same ole in the pen. Maybe he
just wanted to step out for some fresh air. Jeez, have you SMELLED the
air at the Zoo lately?

With recaptured gorilla Little Joe safely locked away in a holding pen,
police yesterday demanded that Franklin Park Zoo officials quickly upgrade
security at the popular gorilla exhibit and refused to rule out putting
the restless primate to death in order to protect the public.

Now
they’re talking about the Death Penalty for Joe! This is Homeland Security
run amok. Whose fault is it that the damn gorilla got out? Who among
us would NOT try to escape 24-7 surveillence behind bars and the same
damn food every day?

Free Little Joe! OK, maybe not completely free, he is a 300-lb wild
animal, but there are over 1000 of those in the NFL alone, and they
let THEM walk around free. Maybe some kind of supervised field trips
to Boston area schools and cultural institutions, a ball game once
in a while, and a little variety in the diet, as a minimum for a public
servant in the exausting glare of near-constant scrutiny.

from
the Boston Globe