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Today our wildlife lessons are in the use of terms like "might, may or could" to generate fear and demonize whatever we deem to be nuisance or inconvenience.
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The first lesson comes from Aurora, Illinois where a church that apparently owns more than 70 acres of property is complaining about the mostly migratory Canada geese that roost at an icy lake there this time of year.
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The geese "squawk" when they're flying over and according to the pastor, they "occasionally chase children." (Something I personally have never seen despite observing Canada geese in Central Park for more than five years.)
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Of course one is hard pressed to see any children in the video of an icy lake and mostly snow covered fields. Generally "soccer and baseball" are played in the summer.
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The pastor goes on to say that he "may eradicate the problem here," but it will go somewhere else in what seems blatant attempt to instill fear in neighbors that they will soon be "invaded" by geese.
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But in an outdoors (hunting) article and video out today, it is clear that the geese moving around Illinois now are migratory and in large part "attracted" by a refuge that encourages a large goose population for hunters to shoot at:
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According to the above article, the migratory geese will leave Illinois naturally in about 60 days -- well before soccer and baseball seasons.
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Perhaps the church pastor is as ignorant about wildlife policies in his state as he is seemingly ignorant on the bible which quotes God as saying, "Let the skies be filled with birds of every kind."
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It is truly ironic that geese were shot at this church property immediately following Christmas:
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As there was "no room at the inn" for the Christ child, there is apparently no room on church grounds for wildlife more than 2,000 years later.
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Little has changed.
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In the more typical use of "might, may and coulds" to rationalize the deliberate killing (or "culling") of animals, the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) recently announced a plan to "eliminate" free-roaming mute swans in New York State by the year 2025:
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The document makes the case for this by asserting the swans "might have a detrimental impact upon aquatic ecosystems."
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My grandmother "might" have a detrimental impact upon aquatic ecosystems -- except for the fact she is dead.
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I "might" have a mansion in Hawaii -- except for the fact I don't.
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It seems "might, may and could" are convenient words for when we don't know what we're talking about, but want to assign blame or instill fear anyway.
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And few species have become more victimized by that mentality and human tendency than Canada geese and apparently now, mute swans. -- PCA
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