On May 28, 2016, a Western Iowland gorilla by the name of Harambe was shot and killed after a three-year-old boy fell into the gorilla exhibit of the Cincinnati Zoo. Harambe's interaction with the boy caused many onlookers to grow nervous for the child's fate. As a result, a zoo employer ultimately had to make the heart-wrenching choice to end the gorilla's life. His death not only was a major tragedy that shook the nation, but also created controversy, and internet memes! Whether or not you believe the zoo should of have handled the situation differently, we can all agree that the internet has exacerbated Harambe's image by making his death into an antic. And honestly, what's so humorous about a seventeen-year-old gorilla death?

So how did Harambe's face become the "newest sensation" across social media? A day after he was shot, the incident made the front page of Reddit, and comments began flooding in from all across the web. Soon, the news of the gorilla's death made headlines on various news channels/news articles including, CNN, BBC, The Daily Dot, and Time. People began leaking video clips of Harambe observing the boy after falling into the gorilla enclosure, and even carrying the child out of the moat. This resulted in a public outcry for Harambe's death to be brought to justice, and many began blaming the parents for their lack of attentiveness towards their son.

Thousands of people signed a petition on Change.org to hold the child's parents' accountable for Harambe's death. The newest hashtag that seemed to be surfing around the internet was #justiceforharambe. Unfortunately, the hashtag became a joke on various social websites such as Facebook and Twitter. Harambe's face was photoshopped in pictures with other celebrities who had died in 2016, and even a new hashtag was birthed from the previous #justiceforharambe hashtag (aka #d*cksoutforharambe). And did I mention people have been making mockery YouTube videos/t-shirts about him? Honestly, if you plan to put Harambe's face on an article of clothing, at least donate the money to a gorilla animal conservation instead of keeping the profits for yourself.

(WHY IS THIS ON A WEBSITE CALLED ifunny.co????)

(Sorry! He didn't die for your memes, or your sins).

I've began to notice over the months that Harambe's name has lingered across social media, and my campus like a terrible odor. The repeated dialogue of "Harambe died for your sins," or "D*cks out for Harambe" injures my sensitive ears. On Facebook, I've seen friends share videos "poking fun" at Harambe's death, and even going as far as displaying images of Harambe's corpse photoshopped into memes!

(But please argue why we should continue making Harambejokes).

The other night, I decided to go to a Halloween fraternity party with some friends. When I entered the frat house, the first thing that caught my eye was someone wearing a gorilla suit. No surprise, people were hollering, "He died for your sins," and "Harambe". I later discovered from a friend that the person in the gorilla suit had not intended to specifically go as Harambe, but of course, everyone seems to associate every gorilla image/reference to Harambe.

Honestly, if you believe Harambe death is so "ha-ha" hilarious, just try to imagine Harambe was a person instead of a gorilla. Do you think people would have reacted the same way, and made Harambe the human into an "internet sensation"? Would his face have sold clothing articles/costumes, and even become internet famous for his death being so humorous? Think about it! You'd be outrage. Maybe even campaigning for his integrity. Would you be using his name in everyday casual dialogue, or even as going as far as saying "D*cks out for Harambe?" You might as well be vandalizing his memorial and decorating his statue with makeup, because its no contrast to making social/social media gags out of ANY LIVING BEING'S DEATH!

I hope anyone reading this understands the importance of ending the reign of Harambe jokes. We are a society built on defending the voices of the innocent, not turning their deaths into farces. And, if you still are not convinced that we need to put an end to the Harambe jokes, then I wish you well and hope we never come in contact in the near future. #HeartsOutForHarambe!