It is vital to oppose and defeat the city's cruel and feckless proposal to criminalize all bird and squirrel feeding in NYC parks.
This is a two-prong battle:
1-- To preserve and protect disappearing wildlife in parks.
2 -- To respect and protect the mostly elderly, poor, lonely and disabled people who go to parks to connect with nature. People who cannot run marathons, play softball or defend themselves from bullying, intimidation and threats of arrest.
Before leaving NYC last year, I was in Central Park everyday and have thousands of photos.
I saw what happened during tough winters when water birds had no access to food on frozen lakes.
I saw geese and other birds routinely harassed by Geese Police -- even in winter. I witnessed geese grieve when their eggs were deliberately destroyed.
I saw elderly people with walkers and wheelchairs feeling purpose when feeding birds. One senior lady with a walker came down from the Bronx to Central Park everyday to sit for hours and enjoy her favorite squirrels and birds. Another in a wheelchair had ducks and geese eating from her hands.
Now, these empathetic and often religious people acting on principles of mercy have to be afraid.
Afraid of harassment, belittlement and possible criminal arrest.
Is this what New York City strives to be?
A place of intolerance, malignment and vilification of both, wildlife and its most vulnerable and defenseless people?
This battle is not just about pigeons or even garbage.
It is so much more than that.
It's about being able to view New York City as a progressive place of leadership that celebrates all its people and its wildlife.
It's about being able to call ourselves decent human beings.
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2 comments:
Should we really be taking moral guidance on animal cruelty from someone who supports horse carriage industry? Why should we listen to someone about what is happening in NYC from someone who doesn't even live here?
I lived in NYC 71 years.
I was in Central Park thousands of times.
Yes, I moved a year ago, but still care about CP and its animals. I still have friends there.
One of those friends is a 75-year-old cancer victim whose one remaining joy in life is connecting to and feeding birds in Central Park. I do not like seeing my friend berated and yelled at. I don't want to see her under threat of arrest.
Carriage horses are a different issue.
I do have concerns for horses who lose homes, care and purpose. If there were sanctuaries for all the horses without homes, we would not being sending 150,000 horses to Mexican and Canadian slaughterhouses every year.
"Removing" animals from city parks doesn't mean the grass is greener elsewhere.
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