They (The Geese) Always Fly Together

Two of the remaining six geese at Jackie Onassis Reservoir in Central Park. Goose on right still molting and flightless. Her mate stays with her. Meanwhile, most of the Reservoir geese have moved to Harlem Meer, where hopefully, Cago is soon to join them.

 Yesterday, I wrote of the "crossroads" that a solo Canada goose was standing on at Harlem Meer and the choice he has to make between whether to stay with the ducks he has grown accustomed to over the past six weeks or attempt to be accepted by a new flock of Canada geese (despite the inherit challenges in the latter).

As of last night, "Cago" was again with the geese who made another temporary visit on the grassy lawn near the Dana Center where Cago stays with the ducks. 

But, that is not evidence to actual decision. The geese were ornery and there was a good deal of status assertion and pushing around. Cago was likely on the receiving end of some or even most of the "hen pecking."  But, that is something he will need to get used to if in fact, ultimately choosing to go with the geese -- which is presumed he will.

"Crossroads" and decision is not something obviously confined to a solitary Canada goose who must decide the direction of his life over the upcoming fall and winter.

Many of us who have staked out NYC parks over the past six weeks to insure our geese were not rounded up and killed by USDA also have decision in terms of the direction our activism should take us over the upcoming months.

Reality is, this is not the end of advocacy, but rather the beginning.

There are some in the cause who want to take political action and direction over ensuing months as there are important primaries and election for mayor and city council coming up.

I am not particularly enthusiastic about this for numerous reasons, not the least of which is that New York City politics has become a nationwide joke over the past few weeks and days.

Between proven liars, sexual predators, Bloomberg clones and candidates running for mayor who don't even register on the radar, the truth is, NYC voters don't have much, if any choice this fall.

Additionally, none of the people running for mayor has demonstrated any will do anything to protect geese and even if they did, there is little the Mayor or City Councilpeople can actually do to stop what has now become federal, state and city agency entrenched goose slaughters in New York City.

Most significantly, animal issues barely register in political discussion and are never brought up in televised political debates.

Before animals can become political issue, they first have to become a social issue. -- A subject bantered about near office water coolers and dinner tables. 

Animal issues have to grab the attention of media exposure and they have to generate lively public discussion and debate via comments, letters to the Editor and published Op Eds and Editorials.

Insofar as geese, the issue has in fact, generated increased media exposure as well as public discourse over the past few months.

Some articles and columns have been posted on this blog and even more are regularly posted on   

(61) Call of the Canada Geese   and   (27) GooseWatch NYC .

It is absolutely vital to stay constantly abreast of all relative information and articles pertaining to the issue as well as to share and respond with comments and letters to the Editor.   

This is in fact, one of the most significant means for making what is hidden and obscure into an actual social issue worthy of public attention and discussion and eventual political recognition and address.

One of the frustrating realities of posting articles to Facebook is that many people comment to Facebook, but not to the actual articles. 

Such commentary, though appreciated by FB administrators, does nothing to address directly the article or to put the issue into the public realm.   

To stress the importance of letters to the press, please note the following article from Washington State:

Park geese euthanized to control population : The Issaquah Press – News, Sport  

Towards the end it says:

"Friends of Lake Sammamish State Park board member David Kappler said he felt it was time to do something about the geese, whose feces left the park undesirable for visitors.  "I think it had to happen," he said. "The goose poop was everywhere. It made the park pretty unfriendly for families."

Issaquah resident Steve Balkman agreed with that sentiment, saying in a letter to The Press that local and state officials should control the geese not only in the park, but in the city, too."  (Emphasis supplied.)


And so it appears that 90 geese had to die in a Washington Park for the vitriol expressed against them in a "Letter to the Press" and also by a so-called "Friend of Lake Sammamish."

Well, we have to be the friends of the geese and our local parks.

I posted two comments to the above article (one in response to a post supporting the goose massacre).   Thankfully, two other goose advocates did as well.

But, we have to be far more proactive than this.

This issue is starting to hit the media now and we have to -- like the geese -- be constantly vigilant and promptly respond to threat and propaganda.

And like Cago, we have to seek out and blend with "our own kind" so to speak (like minded people across the country) despite any rough initiations. 

I frankly believe it is now time for a "Goosewatch, America." 

Humans, like geese, achieve a great deal more when working together and supporting each other when under the gun -- though appearances might sometimes contradict that.

Like humans, geese are not without their "differences of opinion" when determining strategies.

But in the end, they always fly together. -- PCA


                                                         

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