[Leps-l] NYTimes article on the NABA butterfly park

[Roger Kuhlman]

The piece that appeared in the New York Times is mainly advocacy for partisan Leftist Democrat positions and power. It has so much focus on extreme Rightwing crazies that is hard to take it as serious journalism. If you want promote the preservation of butterfly numbers and diversity, you cannot let native ecosystems and natural habitats to fall victim to Human Overpopulation and Overdevelopment in America. That means for America, Illegal Immigration must be stopped entirely and excessive legal Mass Immigration restricted to population neutral levels. Open Borders as we now have under Joe Biden is an Ecological Disgrace and an Ecological Disaster. I do not understand why so many Lepidopteran experts and enthusiasts can not appreciate these pertinent facts

Roger Kuhlman
Ann Arbor
________________________________
From: rcech <rcech at nyc.rr.com>
Sent: Monday, February 7, 2022 12:54 PM
To: Mike Quinn <entomike at gmail.com>; Roger Kuhlman <rkuhlman at hotmail.com>
Cc: Leps List <leps-l at mailman.yale.edu>
Subject: Re: [Leps-l] NYTimes article on the NABA butterfly park

If I may weigh in, the NBC staff did not confront those with opposing sociopolitical views, quite the opposite. If left alone, i believe the center would wend its way along on a butterfly-substantive track. So while I agree that the list serve should not become a shouting forum for disparate political commentaries, i also feel offended by attacks on an institution I value, and share a sense of outrage.

I will be facing this same issue viz my local butterfly club, so maybe this is a cautionary warm-up.

Thanks, I guess, for the exercise round.

Rick Cech

Sent from my T-Mobile 5G Device


-------- Original message --------
From: Mike Quinn <entomike at gmail.com>
Date: 2/7/22 11:45 AM (GMT-05:00)
To: Roger Kuhlman <rkuhlman at hotmail.com>
Cc: Leps List <leps-l at mailman.yale.edu>
Subject: Re: [Leps-l] NYTimes article on the NABA butterfly park

Roger,

I appreciate the call for no politics, but this article, concerning south Texas butterfly habitat, ran on the front page of Sunday’s NYTimes so I don’t think it’s something that we as a group should ignore though individuals are more than welcome to do as they wish.

Mike Quinn, Austin

On Mon, Feb 7, 2022 at 12:34 AM Roger Kuhlman <rkuhlman at hotmail.com<mailto:rkuhlman at hotmail.com>> wrote:
I think all this talking about Not Following the Science and Science is the intellectual enemy only amounts to Extremist Leftist Political Propagandizing for Leftist Political Power. I find it very offensive and wish to not see it in intelligent discussions of butterflies, their natural habitats, and ways of life. Do you think we can cool this line of politics?

Sincerely,
Roger Kuhlman
Ann Arbor, Michigan
________________________________
From: Leps-l <leps-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu<mailto:leps-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu>> on behalf of Metzler, Eric H. <MetzlerEH at si.edu<mailto:MetzlerEH at si.edu>>
Sent: Sunday, February 6, 2022 7:37 PM
To: Mike Quinn <entomike at gmail.com<mailto:entomike at gmail.com>>; Leps-L <leps-l at mailman.yale.edu<mailto:leps-l at mailman.yale.edu>>; TXBL <TX-BUTTERFLY at listserv.uh.edu<mailto:TX-BUTTERFLY at listserv.uh.edu>>; TXENTO <TX-ENTO at listserv.uh.edu<mailto:TX-ENTO at listserv.uh.edu>>
Subject: Re: [Leps-l] NYTimes article on the NABA butterfly park

I attribute this situation to a weird association of butterflies and science where science is the intellectual enemy.

I suggest our educational system is failing us by not ensuring students learn critical thinking.  The conspiracy theorists were always there yet remained below the surface until emboldened by the thinking of the administration between 2016 and 2020. In my department back in the 1980s one of my colleagues and close friends would return from meetings with the folks who used our research and accumulated knowledge to teach. He would return to his office and always say "Fictitious but true." There are facts and there is the truth. Each person must decide based upon their education and indoctrination, at home, at school, socially, and church if they attend one. In our small city of 35,000 people, 2/3 are right-wing well-meaning people, and less than 50% are vaccinated. There is one very low wattage church chat show. I regularly listen because I want to know what the 2/3 right leaning people are hearing. The stuff that is broadcast is scary. One so-called news-on-the-hour broadcast said people should not get vaccinated for COVID because every vaccinated person dies. No doubt a true statement and reveals no critical thinking.

I work hard to teach my students to research and think. I touch so few students compared to the thousands of people who join the masses of conspiracy theorists. My former neighbor, a very nice man, from across the street insisted planes from China were flying overhead daily to spread the COVID virus. Then in the next sentence he said COVID doesn't exist. Critical thinking? I think not. I recently attended his funeral after COVID caused his death.

>From sunny southern New Mexico.

Eric
Eric H. Metzler
________________________________
From: Leps-l <leps-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu<mailto:leps-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu>> on behalf of Mike Quinn <entomike at gmail.com<mailto:entomike at gmail.com>>
Sent: Sunday, February 6, 2022 4:47 PM
To: Leps-L <leps-l at mailman.yale.edu<mailto:leps-l at mailman.yale.edu>>; TXBL <TX-BUTTERFLY at listserv.uh.edu<mailto:TX-BUTTERFLY at listserv.uh.edu>>; TXENTO <TX-ENTO at listserv.uh.edu<mailto:TX-ENTO at listserv.uh.edu>>
Subject: [Leps-l] NYTimes article on the NABA butterfly park


External Email - Exercise Caution

How the National Butterfly Center Became the Center of Online Lies - The New York Times https://nyti.ms/3otxXeB<https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fnyti.ms%2F3otxXeB&data=04%7C01%7CMetzlerEH%40si.edu%7Cbbfdfaf6384f4502593f08d9e9cb0800%7C989b5e2a14e44efe93b78cdd5fc5d11c%7C0%7C0%7C637797881097390467%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C2000&sdata=oOm%2BWu0WcwZHuIWJy8%2F%2B0lvs3zDzf8uefjRFk9HG%2F6k%3D&reserved=0>

Mike Quinn, Austin
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