Fwd: Monarch saviors

[Hank Brodkin]

Alex et al-
Surely by now someone has answered this - but just in case -
My first bit of advice would be not to accept everything one reads in the
paper!  Many times they get their facts wrong.
Besides federal laws that are mentioned, many states have laws against
killing birds of prey.  Some states do have exceptions if these birds are
taking poultry, etc.
Why ???  Because in the early part of the last century they were used as
target practice.  It was not uncommon to see these magnificent and useful
birds hanging on the barbed wire fences by the dozens, especially during
migration.
Some hawks do take birds.  Occaisionally Cooper's Hawk and Goshawk (a much
rarer bird) will take chickens.
Red-tailed Hawks do not even take poultry.  While they will eat a bird as
large as a Meadowlark or a dove, most of their food is comprised of
rodents - the same rodents that cause a great deal of harm to the crops of
the idiots who like to kill these graceful. slow-moving and confiding birds.
They will also take snakes.  Whatever killed the farmer's livestock (if
indeed anything was killed) it was NOT a Red-tailed Hawk.  Fortunately the
judge probably knew this and gave the guy what he deserved.
It serves no purpose whatever to kill these beautiful, useful birds.  You
can't eat them.  Many of my friends out here are hunters.  They respect the
game they take and they eat what they kill (and fortunatley invite us over
for dinner frequently).
But I have no sympathy for that farmer - or for anyone who kills just to
kill. And thanks for reminding me, Alex and Paul, I have just sent a nice
gift to the Sierra Club and another one to the Audubon Society.  I am proud
to be one of those "WHO" not so secretly lurk ;-)

--------------------
Hank Brodkin
Carr Canyon, Cochise County, AZ
hbrodkin at earthlink.net
"Butterflies of Arizona - a Photographic Guide"
by Bob Stewart, Priscilla Brodkin and Hank Brodkin
http://home.earthlink.net/~hbrodkin/index.html
SouthEast Arizona Butterfly Association (SEABA)
http://www.naba.org/chapters/nabasa/home.html


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Grkovich, Alex" <agrkovich at tmpeng.com>
To: <monarch at saber.net>; <leps-l at lists.yale.edu>
Cc: <TILS-leps-talk at yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Monday, March 08, 2004 7:16 AM
Subject: RE: Fwd: Monarch saviors


> The Sierra Club is just another example of the "radical environmentalist"
> movement that threatens the freedom of citizens in this country. One
wonders
> just WHO is secretly lurking behind such organizations, probably even
> unbeknown to many of the honest folks who lead these groups. Certainly
> conservation has to be at the forefront of the minds of all of us, and
> certainly IS there...But...the messages that are conveyed in their
bulletins
> in which they advertise for new members (I just received one and it is now
> in the trash) are misleading and are plainly not truthful in all regards.
>
> For example, hearings are on-going in terms of revising the (dangerously
> flawed) Endangered Species Act...The message here in the advertisement is
:
> "Save all of this threatened wildlife..." which is of course the goal of
all
> of us...What is NOT conveyed is the other side of the coin...Here is an
> example:
>
> About two weeks ago I read in the Boston Globe an article (in Section 1)
> about a man is eastern Mass. who is currently (I believe that I do not
> understand this incorrectly, but I disavow any responsibility in this
matter
> if I am in error...) being prosecuted for killing a Red Tailed Hawk (an
> "Endangered Species") which was threatening (killing) his
livestock...Well,
> first, isn't the MAN'S interest and livelihood and FREEDOM on his own
> property, first and foremost (..."...for the Common Welfare..." as was
> written in the Declaration of Independence of our Republic) above that of
an
> animal? And Red Tailed Hawks are now abundant in eastern Massachusetts, we
> have a colony of them in the conservation area behind our own property...I
> actually saw one near downtown Boston yesterday...So why on earth are they
> "Endangered"...
>
> We need to write to Congress (Representatives Pombo, Walden and Cardoza)
> about the shortcomings of this dangerously flawed Act.
>
> And no more money for the "Sierra Club"...
>
> Alex
>


 
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