Pale Male Vs. The Homeless Just in case you have been living in a Mountain Dew induced haze (which I am sure some of you have been). Over the past week or so millions of people have been interested in the plight of two red tailed hawks who live on the upper eastside. These hawks Pale Male and Lola have taken up residence for the last 12 years at 927 Fifth Ave. Well last week the co-op board decided to have the nest removed since they had grown tired of the half eaten rats and pigeons that were strewn out over the sidewalk in front of the building. This was a bad move on the co-op's part because these two hawks are practically international celebrities. There is even a documentary about them, which you can view here! Since the nest has been removed there has been almost a constant vigil of people outside the co-op. They are getting drivers to honk in support of putting back the nest (which is quite a disturbance in this high tone part of town). It looks as if they are actually going to put back the metal spikes that helped anchor the nest back on the ledge so that Pale Male and Lola can rebuild.

There is a great article in the New York Times (which all of you should sign up for, it's free). The author of the article does something interesting. Here is a quote:

No one could doubt the protesters' fervor. But curiosity took hold of me. On Sunday, at random, I approached 10 of these defenders of homeless birds to ask if they had ever joined a demonstration in behalf of homeless human beings.

The question was inspired in part by the sight of a man picking through a corner trash basket a block away, at Fifth and 75th. No protester, he said, had asked if he, like the hawks, needed shelter. (I did ask, but he did not respond.)

To a person, the 10 demonstrators acknowledged that, no, they had never taken up the cause of the unwinged homeless. It's different, you know, one woman said. "I just feel like Pale Male has been such an ambassador."

ANOTHER woman, who gave her name only as C. J., flashed a "Honk 4 Hawks" sign at passing cars. But "this is not about two birds," she said. No doubt, they can build a nest elsewhere. "For me, it's part of a larger issue," C. J. said. "It's about how right now nature is considered a convenience, and when it becomes inconvenient, we just get rid of it."

I think the author of the article does an interesting thing when he talks about people getting all excited about two hawks, but the homeless person going through the trash is virtually unnoticed. I think that people come out to save whales, rescue kittens, and find homes for falcons because animals are easier to deal with than people. You either make an animal bend to your will like a dog or you appreciate it from a far like a lion, but in both instances you are in control. With people it's a different matter. Dealing with people is messy since they can talk and don't always do what you want them to. Truthfully I have a hard time feeling sorry for two hawks or any other animal for that matter when I know that there are 30,000 children who die EVERY DAY from preventable diseases. So what are your thoughts on this? Why does the plight of two hawks in NYC, beached whales, spotted owls, or other such animals get on the national news and become a 'rallying cause' over other more important human issues? posted by: J-Wild at: 2:59 PM -