Koko The Gorilla's New Year's Message To Humans

                 I don’t even know how to start this post, although, apparently, I just did. The Daily Mail reported this past New Year’s Day that Koko, a 44-year-old female gorilla who they claim has been learning sign language since she was one, essentially put out a “tweet” (using sign language?) stating “Humans bad. Hurt Earth. Koko sad.” As readers know, I am an absolute proponent of unfettered free speech, but those humans responsible for flinging this crap should be charged with fraud and those who believed it retired to bright, airy, padded rooms, for their safety- and ours. This is a more outrageous hoax than global warming, though on a much smaller scale. Koko has no awareness of the universe and therefore of her place in it. She has no concept of a higher power or of how she got here. She is ignorant of Natural Law. She doesn’t know the size of the earth, the extent of humankind or what humans have or haven’t done with the vast majority of the planet she hasn’t seen. She doesn’t know why our planet is called “earth,” for that matter, or what that concept entails.

                None of this stopped NOE Conservation, an organization based in France whose main focus is “biodiversity,” and The Gorilla Foundation in Woodside, California, from scripting this so-called message. Koko has lived in Woodside for the past 36 years.

                The Great Ape is said to be able to understand about 1,000 words of U.S. sign language, but there has been much controversy about whether her use of signs is simple, reward-induced mimicry or something meaningful.

                Koko was filmed delivering a 38-word, 60-second “New Year’s message” in which she supposedly urged humanity to stop destroying the planet. In that video the ape reportedly said, “I am gorilla, I am flowers, animals. I am Nature. Koko love man. Earth Koko love. But man stupid…stupid! Koko sorry. Koko cry. Time hurry. Fix Earth! Help Earth! Hurry! Protect Earth. Nature watches you. Thank you.” The video was made to help get NOE Conservation’s message across for the recent UN Climate Conference in Paris. Imagine that. One bald-faced scam to aid another. “Nature” is not a concept she could possibly thoroughly understand. And man “stupid…stupid”?! Nice emphasis, timing and dramatic effect! Almost like you had an agenda! “Hurry, hurry, nature watches you?” She knows nature sees all but gives her a pass in order to prosecute those who evolved from her! “Koko sorry, Koko cry? Thank you?” She’s been programmed to emote like an Oprah Winfrey guest. Those words could have emanated from any MSNBC host. (Okay, my apologies to Koko for that one).

                A Gorilla Foundation spokesman stated that, “Because of her unique ability to communicate with humans in sign language, Koko is a natural ambassador for endangered species. We presented her with a script drafted by NOE and allowed her to improvise during a series of brief daily video discussion sessions. The result was edited from a number of separate takes, for brevity and continuity.” I’m sure. The spokesman admitted that Koko had to learn “a few new signs” for the video, including “protect” and “nature.” (See my earlier comment about Koko’s grasp of the term “nature”). And does anyone really believe she understands the concept of "endangered species"? (She's essentially been on welfare for decades).

               

                If Koko is as smart, aware and versed in sign language as those who use her for their own personal aggrandizement claim she is, this is what she would have said: “Koko used and abused. Humans force Koko to say things they want Koko say. Koko not understand all. Hurry to help Koko be free. Hurry! Koko doesn’t know what to think. Humans watching Koko. Koko scared of them. Honesty and truth Koko loves. Koko has to poop. Koko will fling crap back at Koko’s humans like they fling at other humans. Protect Earth. Don’t vote for Hillary. Thank you.”