Monday, August 27, 2012

A Political Goose of a Different Color?




A Dancer Without Music

If I am a little disjointed in posting blog entries of late, it is because the main subject of this journal has all but disappeared in Central Park.

Even Danny, the lone Canada goose (pictured above) observed at Harlem Meer last week has again vanished.

Although Central Park remains lovely and pristine, it is surprisingly "empty" without geese.

The lively chatterings and antics of the ducks cannot make up for what is to me, a park devoid of vitality, magic and spirit.

I miss the beautiful, regal and peaceful goose silhouettes on the water.

I miss the familiar faces I had come to know.

Most of all,  I miss the feeling of being welcomed into and being temporary part of family.

One can "adapt" I suppose to a park without geese.

But, one never gets used to it.

I feel like a writer without subject, a photographer without image, a dancer without music.
                                                         
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Bullet the Blue Sky

It is that time of year again.

Though not by calendar the "guns of Autumn" yet for Canada geese, the shooting season is underway.

The time of year when a short, family romp in the morning sun can turn into terrifying and deadly encounters with hailing bullets.

And even should a goose be lucky enough to magically dodge flying daggers, what is it like to helplessly witness family members literally blasted out of the skies?

The below is an outdoors column about goose hunting.

Maybe it is me, but I sometimes wonder if these guys actually read what they write?

I am referring to the "family" thing.

I am not a fan of hunting under any circumstances.

But, the idea of hunting families is particularly repulsive.

Is this another reason for the troubling phenomenon of "loner geese?"

Geese who have lost their entire families to the bullets of blue skies?
                                       
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A Political Goose of a Different Color?

The Republican Convention begins this week in Tampa, Florida.

Break out the balloons, party hats, campaign slogans and tired, rehashed speeches.

Though they may appear divergent or even extreme in what they ascribe to and defend, one ultimately fails to see great difference between the Democratic and Republican political conventions.  

Indeed, if one has seen one political convention, one has seen them all.  Only the names, faces and dates are different.

However, in this political season, there appears on the horizon, a potential horse (or goose?) of a different color.

It's a small Mayoral election in a southern town.

One that ordinarily would not garner any particular notice or attention except to the locals.

But, in this case, we have an incumbent mayor who secretly entered into a goose killing contract with USDA, hid and attempted to lie about the massacre to the press and the public and who, coincidently is up for reelection in less than two weeks.

What makes this campaign interesting is that one of the candidates running against Mayor Kant has devoted much time and space on his FB page to expose and protest the killing of the geese:

While true that most incumbents usually win no matter how incompetent or corrupt, If Independent, Chris Warner should be victorious, it might be the first time someone (Kant) actually pays a political price for secretly ordering a USDA slaughter of wildlife.

Could it be that there is actually some hope for needed political changes -- at least on some small, local level?

This is one election I will be eagerly awaiting the results of -- even though I am no where near Fairhope, Alabama. -- PCA

                                                          
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