Jul 26 2010
WWSS (“What Would Sully Say?”)
Deep down, Humane Society of the United States CEO Wayne Pacelle is so committed to protecting animals that sometimes people—yes, people—become collateral damage.
What else could we possibly conclude from reading this evening’s article on Pacelle’s blog?
In a fit of self-righteous pique probably triggered by this weekend’s love-fest of a national conference, Pacelle has declared that a federal government plan to round up and euthanize 150,000 Canada geese in New York is “wrong and unacceptable.”
To which we say: We’ll see your “wrong and unacceptable,” and raise you a “U.S. Airways Flight 1549” miracle.
Yes, that Flight 1549: the doomed January 2009 takeoff which Captain Sully Sullenberger somehow brought down safely in the Hudson River. Without—and here’s the miraculous part—without losing a single human life. No thanks to the geese that caused the crash, of course.
Preventing Canada geese from bringing down another airliner over New York City is the sole reason why the flying nuisances are being eradicated from a seven-mile radius around John F. Kennedy and LaGuardia airports.
How people choose to respond to this situation is as good a barometer of their animal "rights" beliefs as you’ll ever see.
For the tiny minority of Americans—including HSUS’s leaders—who truly believe there’s nothing special about human beings, the goose cull is … well, “wrong and unacceptable.” To most people, however, it’s a necessary evil if we’re going to protect airline passengers of the homo sapiens variety. We're not talking about rifle-hunting birds in the Bronx, after all. The birds are being gathered and euthanized via a humane method that the American Veterinary Medical Association endorses.
Can you imagine the impact on our economy if governments at every level decided to side with HSUS and let the geese run the show? Just imagine a Big Apple proliferation of Canada geese large enough to persuade the Federal Aviation Administration to shut down the New York metro area’s airspace. Without some sort of intervention, we’d end up there soon enough.
“I wish I could help, Mr. Trump, but all aircraft are grounded until further notice. You’ll just have to divert to Newark and take a bus like everyone else.”
“I don’t care if the World Series has to be delayed. The San Diego Padres will just have to find another way to get to Yankee Stadium. LaGuardia is a no-go.”
“Sorry, Mr. President. I know you need to get to Ground Zero for the annual 9-11 commemoration, but no one can fly in or out of New York City. No, sir, not even Air Force One.”
“Mr. Secretary General, I sympathize with the plight of the United Nations, but the historic Middle East peace ceremony will just have to move to New Jersey. We can’t accommodate all the private jets at Kennedy Airport until the geese fly south for the winter.”
Seriously—does Wayne Pacelle think before approving the blog copy that his employees write?
Unless you’re one of those “outliers” in American society who is perfectly happy thinning out the human “herd” to make room for animals, there has to be a logical point at which saving human lives trumps keeping geese alive. A plane crash seems as reasonable a place as any to draw that line.
No one is talking about exterminating Canada geese for fun, for profit, or for the heck of it. It’s to prevent plane crashes. Studies indicate that “wildlife strikes” cost more than a half a billion dollars each year, and have killed more than 350 people (so far).
The New York Times noted last month that "[i]n the past, some culled geese were donated to food banks," but this won't happen anymore. Which is a pity. Some good should come of this. Even if the resulting scenario isn't a vegan one.
Will it take a 747 nose-diving in Central Park for HSUS to see the wisdom in controlling the bird population? The only alternative seems to be letting the birds control us.
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me on the side of the birds. don’t like it, well something like you wouldn’t. go scratch
I see nuisance as noise and poop. Planes crashing in my world are a little more than a nuisance.
This is outrageous. While I am an animal lover, I am also a hunter and understand the need to keep populations in check. How can the HSUS expect humans to give up everything they have worked hard for because of an overpopulation of geese? Not to mention all of this vegan crap where the meat is just wasted when they do cull the flocks. While I am not a fan for flying, it is a necessity and therefore must be made as safe as possible. Would they continue to argue this point if one of their family members was on that plane? PETA, HSUS, and all of these other groups have gotten out of hand. We are human and therefore should look out for each other. Also, because we are the superior race it is our responsibility to look out for the animals as well. However, would they rather the geese be humanely put down or run through the propeller of an aircraft? More lives (both animal and human) would be lost that way. Just my two cents. Thank you HumaneWatch for keeping tabs on all the things HSUS is up to.
FEED THEM TO THE HUNGRY…keep them out of of the engine of the plane I am on.
Are there not more creative ways to redirect the geese than culling them?
I also do not agree that we humans have a right to regulate Nature. If we did not interfere, Nature would not be out of whack. We are not superior to Nature - we are part of it and our responsibility is to maintain the balance, not adjust Nature to accommodate us and only us.
I am hungry. last month we ate rice to stay alive. our food banks are empty ... if the geese have to go feed us! What is in the food banks comes from china. I have to through out have of the can goods they made us sick. I am sure you have hunters ready to hunt to feed the poor. lets not waste life, but give thanks and save some lives. To let brother goose just die and be wasted is unthinkable.
Wow, seriously, you people putting geese above the lives of humans have some very twisted priorities. And, definitely, harvest the geese and feed them to the hungry—don’t waste them!
Someone said “Feed them to the hungry”
Wow… think of all the dinners 150,000 geese could provide to shelters for the homeless!
I hope that whoever is organizing the removal will take that into consideration and try to not waste all that good meat!
The same people that are saying not to mess with the geese and nature takes care of over population are the same people sitting at the park feeding the birds bread and whatever else they have. Canadian geese have become so populous and no longer migrate because of us. So if somehow we need to adjust the number for our safety, that’s fine. It’s not like there won’t be any more Canadian geese around. But I do agree, it is wasteful not to use the meat. Is this because of how they need to be destroyed “humanely”?
@Liz - People are part of nature, too. We have used the advantages evolution has given us to become a dominant species. Telling us to not use those advantages is the same as telling an otter to stop using rocks to crack open shellfish. In nature, you look out for your own species above all others. I would like to see a better way to deal with the issue than killing 150,000 animals, but I’d rather see that than 150 people and 1 goose dying, because the goose ran into a plane.
Wow, its for safety and we are not just killing the geese just becuase we want to. I agree the meat should go to a food bank.
This is definitely a tough issue, but I’m a little concerned that the geese are called “flying nuisances”. I’m confused - are we looking out for the animals at all? I agree that we need to take this safety issue seriously, and I support this org. because I believe HSUS should be spending their donors’ money where they claim to - but I love my parakeet, she is never a nuisance, and the only real difference is that a goose is not in a cage. Let’s keep our goal in sight
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Wow- Pacelle is really showing his compassionate side for the human race in this one!
I say butcher the geese and have a free goose feed in Central Park! I bet those are some fat juicy geese!
It was good enough for our forefathers; if you cook em right, a goose can make a pretty good Christmas dinner.