NABA proposes policy that could harm nearly 1,000,000Painted Ladies

[Stan Gorodenski]

Chris,
It's quite a stretch to conclude that someone (myself) is forcing
superstitions(?) upon anyone. I certainly don't carry any weight with
those with influence or power.  I'm just one voice amongst many with an
opinion.  However, you are entitled to expressing your thinking. Texas
still into rabbits feet?  Wow!  As far as siding with NABA against
butterfly collecting - you are wrong.  See my writeup on page 23 of the
January 1996 issue of the News of the Lepidopterists' Society (volume
38, Number 1).

Best Regards,
Stan

"Chris J. Durden" wrote:
> 
> Stan,
>       Thank you for your posting. It seems to verify that you are siding
> with NABA in attempting to force your superstitions (that butterflies
> should not be collected or raised for release), through lobbying,
> influencing legislation and regulation, and by propaganda; forcing these
> superstitious beliefs on the rest of us.
> ............Chris Durden
>       I have seen plenty of rabbit feet talismans used here in Texas today.
> It is the cat feet that bother me, but that is just personal.
> 
> At 10:55 AM 1/13/2002 -0700, you wrote:
> 
> >Paul Cherubini wrote:
> > >
> > > The following appeared in the current copy of American Butterflies
> > > published by NABA:
> > >
> > > "We urge you to write the USDA and make the following points:
> > > The proposed regulations can not adequately meet the needs of
> > > scientists interested in tracking migratory movements of Painted
> > > and/or American Ladies. At the least, the USDA should require
> > > small color dots on farmed butterflies intended for release, so
> > > that butterfliers can recognize individuals in the field as far
> > > animals, not wild butterflies."
> > >
> > > HOW  COULD 1,000,000 PAINTED LADIES BE HARMED? :
> > > Each year Insect Lore, a California based Painted Lady breeding
> > > operation supplies schools, brides, grooms, widows and widowers
> > > with nearly 1,000,000 Painted Lady caterpillars or chrysalids. When
> > > the adult Painted Ladies emerge, they are released without ever having
> > > to forcibly handle or manipulate the butterflies in anyway. For example,
> > > in the case of wedding and funeral releases, each Painted Lady adult
> > > is packaged in its own little box that springs open after a securing
> > > string is removed.
> > >
> > > Now if brides, widowers and school children are required to forcibly
> > > hold down a fragile and struggling Painted Lady, while trying to paint
> > > colored dots on them, the risk of butterfly injury is obviously going
> > > to be high.
> > >
> > > NABA's proposed colored dot marking policy appears to contradict
> > > it's website mission statement:  "NABA, a non-profit organization,
> > > is working to promote the public enjoyment and conservation of
> > > butterflies."
> > >
> >
> >Paul, your post is a little confusing.  It seems you are assuming a
> >certain amount of background knowledge, or that the reader has the same
> >train of thought you have because the points of contention in the post
> >do not seem to follow from the first paragraph. The main point of the
> >first paragraph is summarized by first sentence of that paragraph which
> >is "We urge you to write the USDA and make the following points: The
> >proposed regulations can not adequately meet the needs of scientists
> >interested in tracking migratory movements of Painted and/or American
> >Ladies."  This is then followed by the following counter statement in
> >capital letters "HOW  COULD 1,000,000 PAINTED LADIES BE HARMED?", a
> >point of contention which does not seem to follow from the information
> >concerning NABA in this post.  The post then goes on with a discussion
> >of weddings and funerals, and about brides, widowers, and children
> >putting dots on butterflies, again which does not seem to follow from
> >the NABA statements quoted.  I assume the latter points were made with
> >tongue in cheek to add some humor to the post.
> >
> >Paul, I assume you are referring to the proposed rules that appeared in
> >the Federal Register, Vol 66, No. 195 on October 9, 2001.  If this is
> >true, could you post the section(s) (by giving the section number, e.g.,
> >330.204) or page number(s) that applies to the points you are attempting
> >to make about weddings and funerals, especially of the requirement that
> >widowers, brides, and children will have to put dots on butterflies?  My
> >first reaction from what you have said is that the latter is not implied
> >(i.e., customers will have to put the dots on butterflies), but rather
> >that if it is not possible for dots to be put on butterfly wings before
> >the butterflies are shipped to the customer then that kind of business
> >activity (in this case shipping pupae) will have to cease.  This is just
> >a guess, but I need more information and so I look forward to your
> >references in the proposed regulations.
> >
> >With regard to your point:
> >"In the case of weddings and funerals, adult Painted Ladies are too
> >fragile to withstand overnight shipping without some dying.  It would be
> >a real downer, for example, if funeral mourners were to discover alot of
> >the Painted Ladies they received were dead at the time of the memorial
> >service", you have no sympathy from me here.  This activity reminds me
> >of the time when people used to carry a rabbit's foot in their pocket
> >for good 'luck'.  Can you imagine carrying the foot of a dead animal in
> >one's pocket?  Although this activity is not quite the same as releasing
> >butterflies at funerals I find them similar.  It appears we have
> >outgrown our superstitious beliefs regarding rabbits feet (since I have
> >not seen anyone engaging in this activity for many years), and hopefully
> >the same will eventually happen regarding butterfly releases for
> >commercial purposes (Note: I am not claiming these releases have
> >anything to do with superstition on the same level as that associated
> >with rabbits feet).
> >
> >With Kind Regards,
> >Stan
> >
> >
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