In late May of this year, an innocent life was taken and our nation suffered a great loss. Harambe, a majestic silverback gorilla, was killed in his enclosure in the Cincinnati Zoo after a three year-old child entered his enclosure. The victim of this senseless act of violence has been immortalized as a hero, and I, for one, will never forget him. He was everything our nation strives to be, a symbol of strength and heroism in this trying time. His death was a terrible tragedy and a great loss to the American people.

Since his death, many of his friends and supporters have created touching tributes to his life. The internet has been flooded with a huge quantity of these “memes,” memorializing his life and bringing awareness to the plight of gorillas everywhere. While often humorous in the case of these social media posts, the outrage caused by Harambe’s death is sprung by a deeper issue, animal rights. His captors, the supposed “zoo” where he lived at the time of his death, have attempted to prevent this outpouring of support and even prohibit mourners from airing their grievances. The zoo’s official twitter has recently been deleted, just like the very same zoo deleted Harambe, an innocent Gorilla and my personal hero. Our lives will never be the same.

In the months since his death, the circumstances surrounding the tragic events have been heavily scrutinized. Conspiracy theorists speculate that George W. Bush, our 43rd president, must have had the final say in the decision. Or perhaps the recent hacking related to the election was just a cover-up for the Russian plot to kill a national hero. Only two things are certain, Harambe’s life was cut too short by an act of outrageous violence, and larger forces were at work than a “zoo” or a “child in the enclosure.” It was a plot to rob the American People of freedom and happiness.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS