I completely agree on all points and in fact had a lot more to say but Robin's succinct message gets to the heart of the matter. Robin, thank you for putting it so well.
On 5/26/2020 8:29 PM, Robin Cisne wrote: > 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 > <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>> 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: [email protected] > <mailto:[email protected]>, or: [email protected] > <mailto:[email protected]> > -- > > 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/[email protected]/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:* > Welcome and Basics <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME> > Rules and Information <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES> > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> > *Archives:* > The Mail Archive > <http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html> > Surfbirds <http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds> > BirdingOnThe.Net <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/[email protected]/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/ --
