Sunday, March 28, 2021

AGING -- RACISM -- CONTRASTING BIRDS

BIG BEAR BALD EAGLES UPDATE from Friends of Big Bear report the remaining egg has passed the expected time frame during which a hatching would usually occur.   The first egg did begin to hatch but then circumstances resulted in the eaglet not surviving.   So, another unsuccessful season has passed with no new eaglets.  This is the live cam link on the nest where the eagles continue incubating this last egg though it seems unlikely it will hatch.

Coincidentally, while periodically checking on the bald eagles activities I happened on to a live video of a hummingbird nest in Thousand Oaks, a community west of where I live.  I thought it was an interesting contrast comparing the eagles size, their eggs, and that of this Allen's Hummingbird named Emerald.  This iridescent green hummingbird's two eggs are expected to hatch around the first of April for any who might be interested and can be viewed at this link:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3HDROQc2eU.

This is Emerald's second clutch this year having successfully had Ruby and Sapphire fledging in early March.  Unlike the bald eagles she does all the incubating herself and the male parent has no further involvement with the brood.  Reportedly Emerald constructed this nest on a string of Christmas lights and has raised several other clutches in previous years as reported by YouTube's Hummingbird Spot. (No infringement on copyright intended per Creative Commons.)

The soft rock group Seals and Croft from the '70s recorded their tune "Hummingbird".


I am reminded of the hummingbird nest constructed on some lines strung across our patio years ago.  We could easily observe the nest through our patio door and found observing the 2 eggs that later hatched fascinating.  One day when we were all away the little birds apparently fledged.  They likely had to swoop down from the nest to get out from under the patio roof which proved to be to their detriment.  We had, coincidentally, a bird dog in the yard that we had rescued from the pound who must have concluded it was her job to catch these little ones.  We found them long-deceased laying on our patio when we returned which was heart-breaking.

AGING & RACISM

Aging issues present themselves in a variety of ways.  I feel quite alarmed at news reports of older people being attacked and harmed for no known reason other than they were old and presumed to be less able to repel their attacker.  Some attackers have discovered the hard way the error of their presumption and found themselves detained, even injured, also jailed for their crime.  Other elders have not been so lucky. This enters my thoughts since security issues have come to my attention recently,  resulting in my instituting some additional precautionary safety measures.

Additionally, I've been especially appalled by news reports of how many assault crimes are being reported against Asians of all ages, including older people.   Racism against Asians is much more prevalent than I knew -- less common in some parts of our country than other areas I once thought.  

I do recall the adopted Asian daughter of a friend reporting her first encounter with discrimination after her family moved to Colorado twenty years ago from our SoCal area when she was high school age.   I never imagined she would encounter racist attitudes there.   She was physically attractive, personable, intelligent.  I thought it incredible any others could disregard her kind, good-nature, delightful sense of humor, loving manner.   My heart ached she and any others could encounter that sort of discriminatory  attitude.  

Years later another friend, a young adopted person of Mexican heritage with golden brown colored skin was subjected to much more frequent law enforcement stops than his caucasian brother their parents noted.    My black professional colleague told me of being stopped much too frequently when he jogged.  All of this dispels any idea my state is immune to discrimination though I'd like to believe we have fewer bigots than some other areas of our country.   

Racisms's overt expressions increasingly surfaced the past four years, seeming to have been validated as acceptable attitudes prompting unacceptable behaviors encouraged by the language of our previous President.   We cannot discount the possibility that several groups engaged in discriminatory acts are dedicated to fomenting violence in our country, trying to incite a race war.   Fomenting these behaviors serves to undermine our democracy inciting seditious acts in the effort to convert our government to an autocracy.  

I wonder if the day will come when racism, discrimination cease to exist, or will there always be people who are racist and discriminate against others?   Perhaps that must be a rhetorical question given human nature and the most we can hope is to reduce the numbers with such beliefs to insignificant levels.   

   

14 comments:

  1. Racism and xenophobia are very common in the UK too. Some people just get some sort of satisfaction out of persecuting others, usually on the basis of some bogus generalisation about black people, women, foreigners or whatever. It's hard to see how racism can be eradicated without a systematic zero-tolerance attitude from influential public figures and major organisations.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Zero-tolerance is critically important from a government’s leaders, i agree.

      Delete
  2. I draw your attention to my latest blog post "The World From A Child’s Point Of View."

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I look forward to reading your blog post.

      Delete
  3. We are in a time of hate and it doesn't much matter what color someone is. It's an excuse not a reason. Did you read of the woman walking her dog and a young man stabbed to death her dog and then her. He was apparently Hispanic and had earlier tried to kill a man but the guy got away. One story said that guy threw a rock at his head after he killed the woman and dog and knocked him unconscious. Will he ever have an excuse? Will the horror in Boulder ever find out more than the man was the kind of schizophrenic that is violent (about 10%). The driving force so often is hate and our land seems full of it right now with no sense to most of us as to why other than they can. I read that Vancouver BC had a stabbing in one of their libraries. One person killed and six injured. Will we ever understand the logic of such violence? Unlikely since logic doesn't play a role in it or racism.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Those are all tragic examples i’ve heard in the news. Some can be attributed to those with medically diagnosed mental health issues, often untreated, also a problem to be addressed. Then there are those individuals filled with hate as you say.

      Delete
  4. Hummingbird males are such bad providers. Their only job is to impregnate the female. It is all her from then on. Kind of takes a lot away from the male's cuteness. I'll check that site. Would love to see a baby hummer. Thanks.
    Hate what we are seeing today against the races. I think the only hope we have for a lack of racism is when we are all the same shade of tan from cross breeding. Don't think I have that long to live.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That’s an interesting idea that might solve the discriminatory criteria some people believe, but that would likely solve only part of the problem I expect. .

      Delete
  5. This sort of hatred comes from someplace, and it's disingenuous to say that it doesn't matter what race someone is when discussing the violence and bigotry currently on the rise in our country--the FBI even says that the number one domestic terrorist threat is White Supremacist groups. Thanks to 45* and individuals from his administration and supporters calling CoVid-19 the Wuhan Virus and the China Virus, Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans are in real fear in this country. And states are looking to pass hundreds of statutes to make voting more difficult, which will largely impact brown and black populations. Don't tell me that it doesn't matter what colour someone is when it comes to hate. That's just ridiculous.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Color does make a difference to many people, incredibly. You’ve summed up the situation quite well.

      Delete
  6. Looking at the world I wonder if being on lockdown at home is such a bad thing. The last president made hatred acceptable, setting society back.
    [I miss everyone on Time Goes By.] - SusanG.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think there is something to be said for having to stay at home as we've had to do. That could be a good topic for more discussion.

      I, too, miss the dialogue from everyone on TGB and am disappointed Ronni's hope for her blog's continuation (as I understood it) seems not to be materializing in any form. I guess we're left to try to carry it on writing on one another's blogs, but it's not the same, of course, without Ronni.

      Delete
  7. Racism is everywhere, including my country of birth and here in Canada and I've seen overt examples of it here in Newfoundland, even in theatrical performances mocking Asian culture. I don't believe any country is exempt.

    I remember being in a pub one night with my family and a loudmouth asking my sister-in-law, pointing at her two adopted Guatemalan children, "How much did you pay for them?" I was appalled. She said it happened all the time.

    Those hummingbirds tho - how gorgeous.

    XO
    WWW

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Appalling attitudes and behavior that defies common sense but that kind of thinking is out there as what you describe verifies. Especially hard to think of children being subjected to such venom. The hummingbirds are a breath of fresh air.

      Delete