Photo: superbonnie/imgur
"The Zoo is temporarily closed," said the sign.
Redditor superbonnie shared this photo of a young child all wearing a bear costume looking longingly at the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, D.C., which was temporarily closed because of the US government shutdown. The gates to the zoo were locked and the kid was left outside looking in.
Since it was posted a day ago, the image has gone viral and has become the unofficial mascot of the frustration over the government shutdown. Some people were suggesting that the photo was staged (there was no background story attached to the photo, and media's requests to the Redditor who posted the photo haven't yielded any additional clues), but the sentiment that the image provided seems to have struck a nerve amongst many.
The National Zoo wrote on their website:
Due to the federal government shutdown, the Smithsonian's National Zoo is closed to the public. All programming and events are canceled. All vehicle, pedestrian, and bicycle paths into the Zoo are closed. None of our live animal cams are being broadcast.
All the animals will continue to be fed and cared for. A shutdown does not affect our commitment to the safety of our staff and standard of excellence in animal care.
Meanwhile, the circus that is the US Government shutdown continues and the Shutdown photo meme has started.
Photo via @Daily Caller
The definition of "essential" is important here. Scientists at the CDC who are furloughed are doing important work, but they're deemed "non-essential," whereas pet projects like the Presidential golf course at Andrews and the gym for House of Representative members are deemed "essential."
Investors Business Daily makes a better case: Politicization Of Shutdown Is Yet Another Obama Scandal
Yes, because as everybody knows, the most important government employees are the Zoos ones.