Zimbabwean cheers Cecil the lion's death, mocks 'absurdist circus' of U.S. grief, in NY Times op-ed
One of the best parts of The Onion, and a staple of news satire, is the point/counterpoint format. In Wednesday's New York Times, op-ed contributor Goodwell Nzou provides a real-life counterpoint to the prevailing U.S. outrage of the killing of Cecil, the Zimbabwean lion allegedly killed by a Minneapolis dentist.
When he read about Cecil's demise, "the village boy inside me instinctively cheered: One lion fewer to menace families like mine," writes Nzou, who is working toward a PhD in molecular and cellular biosciences at Wake Forest. And when he found out that the dentist is being treated as the villain, "I faced the starkest cultural contradiction I'd experienced during my five years studying in the United States." He continues:
Nzou goes on to wonder why "Americans care more about African animals than about African people," then puts Cecil's death in a bit of context: "Americans who can't find Zimbabwe on a map are applauding the nation's demand for the extradition of the dentist, unaware that a baby elephant was reportedly slaughtered for our president's most recent birthday banquet." Read the entire op-ed at The New York Times.
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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
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