Yes but lets not be naive, SeaWorld are not just targeting adults, they are targeting anyone that will give them $7 and maybe they should just use a little more discretion. Not everyone is super-smart like us or super brilliant parents like us and like it or not, they do have a responsibility for the actions of the animals as they chose to allow minors to feed them for money!
I do agree with this
BUT
is Seaworld really targeting the younger ones to make $7 more bucks ?
feeding the dolphins is a wonderful experience for a 7 years old.
But on a broader spectrum, when is young too young ?
I know some 30 years old who can't follow basic rules ... you've seen them too, many times, in the parks, queue jumping, smoking, littering, you name it ... or people who think they're too smart and the safety guidelines do not apply to them ...
Does this means that, because some people can't behave, it's the park's responsibility to forbid the activity for everyone else ? Can we really blame them, arguing that it's all for the money ?
it's a wide subject ...
is it the park's responsibility to check the health record of a guest against heart or other conditions to ensure this guest is able to ride ?
The world where seaworld is held responsible for this accident is a world where, next time you go buy a hamburger at a quick service, you'll need to provide a medical certificate proving that your cholesterol level and blood pressure are within reasonable range, so that you do not risk a heart attack as a result of eating a high calories, high fat and salt burger ...
A world where restaurants will refuse to serve you a dish because they fear you might sue them in case you do not digest it properly.
Note that in 2002 the British High Court rejected a complaint from 36 UK citizens against mcdonalds for coffee burns. The Judge ruled that it was not McD's responsibility to warn people that hot coffee was ... hot ...
In that light, there are plenty of warnings at seaworld. Failure to comply is the sole responsibility of the person not complying. Or, in the case of children, it's the responsibility of the guardian/parent to make sure the kid complies.
Very recentely, a man sued Disneyworld arguing that the Tower of Terror was too violent a ride, and the violence of that ride was not advertised properly ...
should we close ToT down because it's too intense for some guests ? is it the responsibility of Disney to prevent these guests from riding, after all Disney's making money off these guests' admission ticket and the ride is part of what the guest is entitled to ...
or is it the guest's responsibility to evaluate if he/she is able to handle the situation and respect the rules ?
There is no end to this issue, because where it gets to is a place where nothing is allowed, for fear that someone will have an accident or will not be able to handle a situation.
Here we're a bit far from the issue we're discussing here. But blaming Seaworld for allowing kids to feed the dolphins despite the risks, invariably leads, in the thought process, to a world where there is nothing left to do, and where the "autorithy" thinks and acts in your name and on your behalf, to protect you from yourself.
It's not the world I want to live in ...