"Mights, Mays and Coulds"

 

Just when you think USDA Wildlife Services cannot stoop any lower, somehow it always manages to.

 

After shooting 19 geese at Honeymoon Lake in Washington last year, "Wildlife Extermination Services" will be back this year to round up and gas a family of seven geese.

 

http://www.southwhidbeyrecord.com/news/155469205.html

 

This at the bequest of some wealthy lakefront home owners who resent geese living on a lake.  The apparently wildlife-intolerant humans build homes practically up to the water's edge and then go into a tizzy because waterfowl have the gall to be on water.

 

Who do you call when confronted, not by ghosts, but wildlife?

 

"Wildlife Busters!" -- The USDA.

 

As like last year, many of the community residents are outraged with this senseless and brutal assault on innocent animal life.  Some started an online petition which so far has almost 900 signatures:

 

 http://www.change.org/petitions/honeymoon-lake-board-and-community-members-stop-the-killing-of-honeymoon-lake-s-migratory-geese-and-goslings

 

But, as previously noted, petitions do little in terms of actually stopping these demonization campaigns and slaughters.

 

What matters are the "mights, mays and coulds." (In this case, "The geese might overpopulate.")

 

Whenever we want to justify unjustifiable actions, we dredge up these words for the purpose of creating public fear and loathing for something.

 

"The geese might fly into a plane."   "Goose poop may make someone sick if they eat it."  "Geese could be aggressive when nesting or protecting young."

 

There are of course all kinds of "mights, mays and coulds" in life.

 

A dog or cat may bite us.

 

Being in a park could make some of us sneeze or "feel sick." (allergies.)

 

Drinking soda pop may cause us to get fat.

 

But, should we be passing laws and taking "pre-emptive" actions to "ban" or "get rid of" of all those activities, things or creatures who have the potential to harm some people in some way?

 

In the past couple of days, there has much media uproar over Mayor Bloomberg's latest attempt to play "Daddy" (or dictator) to us all by pushing for a ban of sugary drinks over 16 ounces because some people get fat.

 

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gC0Eado8nZrg7c6mFySB0hZo5GZg?docId=d56f612b809e487e8d54e8657adc012b

 

Although I am not normally a soda drinker and don't have a weight issue, I nevertheless purchased a 16 ounce bottle of "sugary" coke today as means of personal protest against the Mayor's once again tendency to trample on individual rights and freedom of choice as well as to ostracize certain segments in society (in this case, overweight people).

 

Other targets on our Daddy Mayor's "hit list" of demonizations?

 

* Women who bottle feed their babies.

 

*  Anyone who smokes.

 

*  Canada geese

 

When referring to the thousands of geese rounded up and gassed from city parks by USDA over the past few years, Bloomie quipped,  "They just go to sleep and have nice dreams."

 

Presumably, if Bloomie had his way, he would have all the smokers, bottle-feeding mothers and overweight people "euthanized" along with the geese because it seems to be his belief that they are responsible for bringing society down -- like geese are "bringing down planes."

 

We really need to question and be skeptical when government seeks to demonize and blame any particular group for all of society's ills and problems -- even when the targets are non-humans.

 

Those "mights, mays and coulds" currently being used against geese to justify their slaughter may one day be used against us to justify societal derision and assignment of blame.  

 

All humans (like geese) have their particular downsides or "vices."

 

Be careful those vices aren't on government hit lists -- along with the geese. -- PCA

 

 

                                                                **********