Wednesday, April 25, 2012

"Blowing Up Icebergs" - NYC Geese Targeted by Senator Gillibrand

It is almost impossible to keep up with all the bad news happening to geese in recent days.
 
But, in less than a week, we have had two airline collisions with birds in New York City and in the most recent incident, the birds were identified as "two big geese."
 
 
(Notice in the above article how the pilot says "the plane hit geese," but the Post says the geese "slammed" into the plane -- as if the geese were suicidal terrorists.)
 
Needless to say, this is further propaganda and ammunition for New York City's "war on geese" both in the press and now the halls of Congress.
 
One of the two New York Senators (who coincidently is running for reelection this November) has already targeted the geese for further slayings by introducing a bill in the Senate that would "speed up" USDA "removals" this summer and even put a bull's eye over the geese and other birds at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge.
 
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand,  (D) NY,  though normally good on animal issues, is, in this case, responding with typical "knee jerk" reaction as has already been covered in numerous blog entries here.
 
Whenever "something bad" happens, then some politicians immediately jump to what seems easy and quick PR remedy,"  rather than actually investigating the responsible and effective ways to make our skies, environments and airliners "safer."
 
That "easy solution" is to round up and kill a whole lot of geese, presumably so people feel "good" that something is being done and the Senator is doing her job.
 
But, nothing could be farther from the truth.
 
Killing a lot of birds does not insure our pilots are not fatigued or that the aircraft are not compromised mechanically or that anything is being done to improve and implement state of the art avian radar (which would prevent bird strikes).
 
Rather, it is like blowing up icebergs after a ship plunged to the depths of the ocean 100 years ago (killing almost 1,500 people) after hitting one.
 
Such irresponsible actions, "bills" and laws only kill a lot of birds.   But, unless they can kill EVERY bird who flies, then they in fact, do NOTHING to "guarantee airline safety."
 
It is important that people concerned about this fiasco call Sen. Gillibrand's offices (both in DC and NY) TODAY to protest this knee jerk and outrageously cruel response:
 
Washington, DC.  (202) 224-4451   New York City (212) 688-6262.
 
The lives of ALL New York City geese might very well depend upon it. -- PCA
 
 
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