Magnus, your last paragraph linking unleashed dog-walking to the depravities of colonialism is an ambitious overreach, and an outrageous conjecture unsupported by fact. I assume you meant to type "setting their *dogs* on birds and people." No evidence has been offered, either in this forum or by Christian Cooper, that any owners of unleashed dogs have deliberately sicced 'em on innocent bird watchers. You are not a victim.
I am a birder and the responsible, unarrogant owner of a frequently unleashed dog who is not permitted to bother people (and generally ignores them anyway). The great outdoors is big enough for all of us, even for people eager to police others. On Tue, May 26, 2020 at 7:40 PM Magnus Fiskesjo <magnus.fiske...@cornell.edu> wrote: > > Connecting to the recent discussion here, about arrogant dog-owners, this > case in Central Park, NYC is relevant. > > The sister of the birdwatcher in the incident sent around his original > film, which is going viral and reaching millions now: > https://twitter.com/melodyMcooper/status/1264965252866641920 > > The BBC reports: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52759502 > > But, because the birdwatcher who reminded the woman she is required to > have her dog leashed in the park, was a Black man, Christian Cooper, most > attention has understandably turned to her astounding attempt to call in > the police on account him being a Black person -- and less attention seems > to be paid to her arrogance against our feathered friends ... which is why > he told her. > > Some people online have tried to highlight the guy's identity as a > birdwatcher also. > > Here is Christian Cooper the man talking about the excitement of > birdwatching: > https://twitter.com/JoshuaPotash/status/1265338098256424973 > > Also his friend said this - turns out he's a TV host, “Birds of North > America”: > https://twitter.com/JasonWardNY/status/1265353355150450690 > > All in all, I think this incident actually brought out how the arrogance > of the dogowners setting their down on birds and people, is actually > intimately related to the deeper history of colonialist appropriation (the > "I, me, mine" selfishness of grabbing, owning, excluding others), and the > racism that goes with it ... and apraently lurks right under the surface, > consciously or not. > > (ps. I live in both Ithaca and NYC and often birded in Central Park, and I > often have chatted with fellow birdwatchers while waiting for birds in the > Ravine and other places. I think I may have run into Cooper a few years ago) > > --Sincerely, > Magnus Fiskesjö, PhD > Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology, Cornell University > McGraw Hall, Room 201. Ithaca, NY 14853, USA > E-mail: magnus.fiske...@cornell.edu, or: n...@cornell.edu > -- > > Cayugabirds-L List Info: > http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME > http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES > http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm > > ARCHIVES: > 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html > 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds > 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html > > Please submit your observations to eBird: > http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ > > -- > > -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
