Re: [cayugabirds-l] arrogant dogowner going viral

[Glenn Wilson]

l.edu/people/steering-committee
________
From: Robin Cisne [rfci...@gmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, May 26, 2020 8:29 PM
To: Magnus Fiskesjo
Cc: CAYUGABIRDS-L
Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] arrogant dogowner going viral

Magnus, your last paragraph linking unleashed dog-walking to the depravities of 
colonialism is an ambitious overreach, and an outrageous conjecture unsupported 
by fact.  I assume you meant to type "setting their dogs on birds and people."  
No evidence has been offered, either in this forum or by Christian Cooper, that 
any owners of unleashed dogs have deliberately sicced 'em on innocent bird 
watchers.  You are not a victim.

I am a birder and the responsible, unarrogant owner of a frequently unleashed 
dog who is not permitted to bother people (and generally ignores them anyway).  
The great outdoors is big enough for all of us, even for people eager to police 
others.




On Tue, May 26, 2020 at 7:40 PM Magnus Fiskesjo 
mailto:magnus.fiske...@cornell.edu>> wrote:

Connecting to the recent discussion here, about arrogant dog-owners, this case 
in Central Park, NYC is relevant.

The sister of the birdwatcher in the incident sent around his original film, 
which is going viral and reaching millions now:
https://twitter.com/melodyMcooper/status/1264965252866641920

The BBC reports: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52759502

But, because the birdwatcher who reminded the woman she is required to have her 
dog leashed in the park, was a Black man, Christian Cooper, most attention has 
understandably turned to her astounding attempt to call in the police on 
account him being a Black person -- and less attention seems to be paid to her 
arrogance against our feathered friends ... which is why he told her.

Some people online have tried to highlight the guy's identity as a birdwatcher 
also.

Here is Christian Cooper the man talking about the excitement of birdwatching:
https://twitter.com/JoshuaPotash/status/1265338098256424973

Also his friend said this - turns out he's a TV host, “Birds of North America”:
https://twitter.com/JasonWardNY/status/1265353355150450690

All in all, I think this incident actually brought out how the arrogance of the 
dogowners setting their down on birds and people, is actually intimately 
related to the deeper history of colonialist appropriation (the "I, me, mine" 
selfishness of grabbing, owning, excluding others), and the racism that goes 
with it ... and apraently lurks right under the surface, consciously or not.

(ps. I live in both Ithaca and NYC and often birded in Central Park, and I 
often have chatted with fellow birdwatchers while waiting for birds in the 
Ravine and other places. I think I may have run into Cooper a few years ago)

--Sincerely,
Magnus Fiskesjö, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology, Cornell University
McGraw Hall, Room 201. Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
E-mail: magnus.fiske...@cornell.edu<mailto:magnus.fiske...@cornell.edu>, or: 
n...@cornell.edu<mailto:n...@cornell.edu>
--

Cayugabirds-L List Info:
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm

ARCHIVES:
1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html
2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds
3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html

Please submit your observations to eBird:
http://ebird.org/content/ebird/

--


--

Cayugabirds-L List Info:
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm

ARCHIVES:
1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html
2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds
3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html

Please submit your observations to eBird:
http://ebird.org/content/ebird/

--



--

Cayugabirds-L List Info:
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm

ARCHIVES:
1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html
2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds
3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html

Please submit your observations to eBird:
http://ebird.org/content/ebird/

--

RE: [cayugabirds-l] arrogant dogowner going viral

[Magnus Fiskesjo]

mindset. As many said at the time, imagine if they had been 
Black, or Indian!  

I feel that Christian Cooper was given exactly this treatment in Central Park. 
I take the woman's racist reaction to him as clear evidence - trying to frame 
him to the police as a Black assailant, was clearly her means of countering his 
voice of reason - in his case trying to speak for the birds, not for himself! 
Because Christian Cooper was Black, the Lady saw him as having No Right to 
speak, whatever his reason. She obviously thinks that *She* Owns Central Park 
/this Beach/ this Country - and she lets her dog loose to show it, and indulge 
in this feeling of "I own this, so I can ruin it, who's a Black dude to stop 
me." That's why she tried to use his "race" to deflect from her flaunting of 
the rules. 

That's my interpretation anyway: In sum, my argument is, both at Hog Hole and 
in Central Park, we're looking at the weaponization of dogs for the owner's 
psychological satisfaction in flaunting the rules and impose on others. And, 
that the roots of this go back to the Might-is-Right behavior of the conquest 
and slavery of the recent past. 

You can disagree, but then I'd like to hear an alternative theory as to, just 
why are those people so nasty? 

-- Finally, I would love if someone can point me to a history of dog-keeping in 
the US, from the time of slavery to the current preoccupation with dogs, which 
perhaps could support me, in my interpretation (and perhaps it would even show 
that the dog-owning itself started out as a psychological substitute for 
slavery).

ps. Don't take me to mean to say that the bad guys win: It's a struggle. 
Slavery was indeed abolished, for one thing.  

And of course many people do follow the rules of the park and put their dog on 
a leash when the signs ask them to. These are good people who have understood 
that we need shared rules to coexist and survive, especially now that there is 
no Wild West anymore, and no more Great Outdoors, and the planet is under 
threat. Globally, countries like China ravage the ocean and fill it with 
plastic, just because they can - never mind it's coming to an end. But, same 
there: can we please have shared rules of decency in ocean fishing and 
polluting, before it's too late? Such big questions are of course much more 
important than whatever dog-owner ruins our birdwatching visits to Hog Hole, 
Ithaca, or Central Park, NYC, or causes damage to the last few birds that try 
to live there. 

But they are the same, and perhaps there is symbolic value in New York's 
Central Park, like in Ithaca, if some of that subset of nasty dogowners can be 
shamed or forced into complying with the rules, and to show some decency.

Not all the birds are dead (only a third). 

yrs,

Magnus Fiskesjö, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology, Cornell University
McGraw Hall, Room 201. Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
E-mail: magnus.fiske...@cornell.edu, or: n...@cornell.edu

Affiliations at Cornell University, WWW:
Anthropology Department, https://anthropology.cornell.edu/anthropology-faculty
Southeast Asia Program (SEAP), https://seap.einaudi.cornell.edu/people/faculty
East Asia Program (EAP), http://eap.einaudi.cornell.edu/people/core-faculty
CIAMS (Archaeology), https://archaeology.cornell.edu/faculty
Cornell Institute for Public Affairs (CIPA), 
cipa.cornell.edu/academics/fieldfaculty.cfm
Judith Reppy Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies (PACS), 
http://pacs.einaudi.cornell.edu/people/steering-committee
________
From: Robin Cisne [rfci...@gmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, May 26, 2020 8:29 PM
To: Magnus Fiskesjo
Cc: CAYUGABIRDS-L
Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] arrogant dogowner going viral

Magnus, your last paragraph linking unleashed dog-walking to the depravities of 
colonialism is an ambitious overreach, and an outrageous conjecture unsupported 
by fact.  I assume you meant to type "setting their dogs on birds and people."  
No evidence has been offered, either in this forum or by Christian Cooper, that 
any owners of unleashed dogs have deliberately sicced 'em on innocent bird 
watchers.  You are not a victim.

I am a birder and the responsible, unarrogant owner of a frequently unleashed 
dog who is not permitted to bother people (and generally ignores them anyway).  
The great outdoors is big enough for all of us, even for people eager to police 
others.




On Tue, May 26, 2020 at 7:40 PM Magnus Fiskesjo 
mailto:magnus.fiske...@cornell.edu>> wrote:

Connecting to the recent discussion here, about arrogant dog-owners, this case 
in Central Park, NYC is relevant.

The sister of the birdwatcher in the incident sent around his original film, 
which is going viral and reaching millions now:
https://twitter.com/melodyMcooper/status/1264965252866641920

The BBC reports: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52759502

But, because

Re: [cayugabirds-l] arrogant dogowner going viral

[Alicia]

I completely agree on all points and in fact had a lot more to say but 
Robin's succinct message gets to the heart of the matter. Robin, thank 
you for putting it so well.



On 5/26/2020 8:29 PM, Robin Cisne wrote:
> Magnus, your last paragraph linking unleashed dog-walking to the 
> depravities of colonialism is an ambitious overreach, and an 
> outrageous conjecture unsupported by fact.  I assume you meant to type 
> "setting their /dogs/ on birds and people."  No evidence has been 
> offered, either in this forum or by Christian Cooper, that any owners 
> of unleashed dogs have deliberately sicced 'em on innocent bird 
> watchers.  You are not a victim.
>
> I am a birder and the responsible, unarrogant owner of a frequently 
> unleashed dog who is not permitted to bother people (and generally 
> ignores them anyway).  The great outdoors is big enough for all of us, 
> even for people eager to police others.
>
> //
>
>
>
> On Tue, May 26, 2020 at 7:40 PM Magnus Fiskesjo 
> mailto:magnus.fiske...@cornell.edu>> wrote:
>
>
> Connecting to the recent discussion here, about arrogant
> dog-owners, this case in Central Park, NYC is relevant.
>
> The sister of the birdwatcher in the incident sent around his
> original film, which is going viral and reaching millions now:
> https://twitter.com/melodyMcooper/status/1264965252866641920
>
> The BBC reports: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52759502
>
> But, because the birdwatcher who reminded the woman she is
> required to have her dog leashed in the park, was a Black man,
> Christian Cooper, most attention has understandably turned to her
> astounding attempt to call in the police on account him being a
> Black person -- and less attention seems to be paid to her
> arrogance against our feathered friends ... which is why he told her.
>
> Some people online have tried to highlight the guy's identity as a
> birdwatcher also.
>
> Here is Christian Cooper the man talking about the excitement of
> birdwatching:
> https://twitter.com/JoshuaPotash/status/1265338098256424973
>
> Also his friend said this - turns out he's a TV host, “Birds of
> North America”:
> https://twitter.com/JasonWardNY/status/1265353355150450690
>
> All in all, I think this incident actually brought out how the
> arrogance of the dogowners setting their down on birds and people,
> is actually intimately related to the deeper history of
> colonialist appropriation (the "I, me, mine" selfishness of
> grabbing, owning, excluding others), and the racism that goes with
> it ... and apraently lurks right under the surface, consciously or
> not.
>
> (ps. I live in both Ithaca and NYC and often birded in Central
> Park, and I often have chatted with fellow birdwatchers while
> waiting for birds in the Ravine and other places. I think I may
> have run into Cooper a few years ago)
>
> --Sincerely,
> Magnus Fiskesjö, PhD
> Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology, Cornell University
> McGraw Hall, Room 201. Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
> E-mail: magnus.fiske...@cornell.edu
> , or: n...@cornell.edu
> 
> --
>
> Cayugabirds-L List Info:
> http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME
> http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES
> http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm
>
> ARCHIVES:
> 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html
> 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds
> 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html
>
> Please submit your observations to eBird:
> http://ebird.org/content/ebird/
>
> --
>
> --
> *Cayugabirds-L List Info:*
> Welcome and Basics 
> Rules and Information 
> Subscribe, Configuration and Leave 
> 
> *Archives:*
> The Mail Archive 
> 
> Surfbirds 
> BirdingOnThe.Net 
> *Please submit your observations to eBird 
> !*
> --


--

Cayugabirds-L List Info:
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm

ARCHIVES:
1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html
2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds
3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html

Please submit your observations to eBird:
http://ebird.org/content/ebird/

--

Re: [cayugabirds-l] arrogant dogowner going viral

[Robin Cisne]

Magnus, your last paragraph linking unleashed dog-walking to the
depravities of colonialism is an ambitious overreach, and an outrageous
conjecture unsupported by fact.  I assume you meant to type "setting their
*dogs* on birds and people."  No evidence has been offered, either in this
forum or by Christian Cooper, that any owners of unleashed dogs have
deliberately sicced 'em on innocent bird watchers.  You are not a victim.

I am a birder and the responsible, unarrogant owner of a frequently
unleashed dog who is not permitted to bother people (and generally ignores
them anyway).  The great outdoors is big enough for all of us, even for
people eager to police others.





On Tue, May 26, 2020 at 7:40 PM Magnus Fiskesjo 
wrote:

>
> Connecting to the recent discussion here, about arrogant dog-owners, this
> case in Central Park, NYC is relevant.
>
> The sister of the birdwatcher in the incident sent around his original
> film, which is going viral and reaching millions now:
> https://twitter.com/melodyMcooper/status/1264965252866641920
>
> The BBC reports: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52759502
>
> But, because the birdwatcher who reminded the woman she is required to
> have her dog leashed in the park, was a Black man, Christian Cooper, most
> attention has understandably turned to her astounding attempt to call in
> the police on account him being a Black person -- and less attention seems
> to be paid to her arrogance against our feathered friends ... which is why
> he told her.
>
> Some people online have tried to highlight the guy's identity as a
> birdwatcher also.
>
> Here is Christian Cooper the man talking about the excitement of
> birdwatching:
> https://twitter.com/JoshuaPotash/status/1265338098256424973
>
> Also his friend said this - turns out he's a TV host, “Birds of North
> America”:
> https://twitter.com/JasonWardNY/status/1265353355150450690
>
> All in all, I think this incident actually brought out how the arrogance
> of the dogowners setting their down on birds and people, is actually
> intimately related to the deeper history of colonialist appropriation (the
> "I, me, mine" selfishness of grabbing, owning, excluding others), and the
> racism that goes with it ... and apraently lurks right under the surface,
> consciously or not.
>
> (ps. I live in both Ithaca and NYC and often birded in Central Park, and I
> often have chatted with fellow birdwatchers while waiting for birds in the
> Ravine and other places. I think I may have run into Cooper a few years ago)
>
> --Sincerely,
> Magnus Fiskesjö, PhD
> Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology, Cornell University
> McGraw Hall, Room 201. Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
> E-mail: magnus.fiske...@cornell.edu, or: n...@cornell.edu
> --
>
> Cayugabirds-L List Info:
> http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME
> http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES
> http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm
>
> ARCHIVES:
> 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html
> 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds
> 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html
>
> Please submit your observations to eBird:
> http://ebird.org/content/ebird/
>
> --
>
>

--

Cayugabirds-L List Info:
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm

ARCHIVES:
1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html
2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds
3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html

Please submit your observations to eBird:
http://ebird.org/content/ebird/

--

[cayugabirds-l] arrogant dogowner going viral

[Magnus Fiskesjo]

Connecting to the recent discussion here, about arrogant dog-owners, this case 
in Central Park, NYC is relevant. 

The sister of the birdwatcher in the incident sent around his original film, 
which is going viral and reaching millions now:  
https://twitter.com/melodyMcooper/status/1264965252866641920

The BBC reports: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52759502

But, because the birdwatcher who reminded the woman she is required to have her 
dog leashed in the park, was a Black man, Christian Cooper, most attention has 
understandably turned to her astounding attempt to call in the police on 
account him being a Black person -- and less attention seems to be paid to her 
arrogance against our feathered friends ... which is why he told her. 

Some people online have tried to highlight the guy's identity as a birdwatcher 
also. 

Here is Christian Cooper the man talking about the excitement of birdwatching: 
https://twitter.com/JoshuaPotash/status/1265338098256424973

Also his friend said this - turns out he's a TV host, “Birds of North America”: 
 
https://twitter.com/JasonWardNY/status/1265353355150450690

All in all, I think this incident actually brought out how the arrogance of the 
dogowners setting their down on birds and people, is actually intimately 
related to the deeper history of colonialist appropriation (the "I, me, mine" 
selfishness of grabbing, owning, excluding others), and the racism that goes 
with it ... and apraently lurks right under the surface, consciously or not. 

(ps. I live in both Ithaca and NYC and often birded in Central Park, and I 
often have chatted with fellow birdwatchers while waiting for birds in the 
Ravine and other places. I think I may have run into Cooper a few years ago)

--Sincerely,
Magnus Fiskesjö, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology, Cornell University
McGraw Hall, Room 201. Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
E-mail: magnus.fiske...@cornell.edu, or: n...@cornell.edu
--

Cayugabirds-L List Info:
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm

ARCHIVES:
1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html
2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds
3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html

Please submit your observations to eBird:
http://ebird.org/content/ebird/

--