Whoever turns on the TV or Internet newsfeeds is
immediately apprised of what's happening in the U.S. Italians were
appalled to learn of the senseless deaths in Orlando, Florida over the past
several days. Orlando, once a sleepy citrus-producing town, is now a
sprawling city and built-up tourist hot spot. Orlando's airport code,
MCO, practically stands for Mickey (Mouse) and Company. Now the bad
news. First, a female singer discovered on TV's "The Voice" was
gunned down by a "fan" following a concert in town. Then a mad
man who had once yearned to be a policeman, likely torn between his Afghan
Muslim upbringing and his homosexual sympathies, entered Pulse, a gay night
club on Orange Avenue, and with an AR-15, a military weapon he had recently
purchased despite having been under observation by the FBI in 2013, murdered 49
people and injured no less than 50. As if this local news were not grim
enough, a Nebraska family visiting the area's huge theme park, Disney World,
suffered an atrocity when their 2-year-old son, Lane, standing in shallow water
around 9 p.m. at the sandy edge of a beach along an artificial
"lagoon" at their Disney hotel resort, was suddenly seized by an
alligator. Despite his father's attempt to get him out of the animal's
powerful jaws, Lane was dragged out of sight. His body was later found
stashed under water for future consumption by the animal. Since then, at
least four alligators have been found and killed in that same "lagoon."
Apparently, Disney knew all along that the alligators were there.
More than one employee has complained to Management over the past year about
visitors feeding them popcorn in certain locations. One employee
reportedly told Management that an alligator was recently spotted lying in the
water not far from guests. None of this is surprising. Florida is
home to alligators. They thrive in the state's canals, inlets, lakes and
wetlands. Sometimes they end up in people's yards, even on their
doorsteps. Alligators have been known to snatch pets. Anyone who
knows anything about Florida wildlife knows to avoid bodies of fresh water,
especially after dark, since that is when alligators normally feed. Yet
the Disney management in Orlando chose not to advertise these facts to their
guests, lest they create an atmosphere contrary to the park's claim to being
"The Happiest Place on Earth." In order not to ruin the veneer
of perfection and control that all Disney parks strive for, Management must
have decided it was safe enough to leave "No Swimming" signs along
the edge of the Seven Seas Lagoon. They didn't even bother to warn
visitors, whom Disney calls "guests," of the known presence of
"gators." The weight of the horrible death of an unsuspecting
child at a Disney park is only getting heavier with time. At present, there
is a public debate underway as to whose fault it was. I imagine that the
child's parents, now back home in Nebraska making funeral arrangements, are
wondering the same thing. How could they have possibly imagined that
their children's dream vacation would end this way? As a rule, Disney
strives to make life within the limits of its constantly growing Florida site
seem more than ideal. For Disney, tourists are "guests" and the
staff are called "actors." The company has strict rules for the
actor-employees that come off sounding more military than merely formal.
Beneath the park lies a labyrinth of tunnels and chambers where the work of
creating the park's false reality goes on. "Actors" discreetly
descend and ascend wearing permanent smiles above ground; smiles are obligatory
for everyone who works at the park. Everything else is gleaming props
made of plastic. There are lots of fun rides; plenty of
"actors" in costumes, many strolling about dressed as big, plush
cartoons; and computer-animated characters, including even scary, real-seeming
crocodiles. It's a photographer's fun fair and a small child's
paradise. That's who Disney first started catering to, we assume, little
children like Lane. But what really took this little child's life?
Was it a 2-meter long reptile? Or was it the fraudulent sale of
perfection for the sake of propping up an expensive illusion? Would signs
saying "No Swimming/Alligators" have saved Lane's life? I think
so. Alas, Disney World Orlando is not the happiest place on earth.
But maybe it's among the most lucrative. UN'AMERICANA A
VENEZIA
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