Sunday, May 29, 2022

SENSELESS TRAGEDY -- BIG BEAR EAGLE'S RISK


MEMORIAL DAY COMMEMORATING ALWAYS  .....

     THOSE WHO SACRIFICED FOR OUR FREEDOMS.

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SENSELESS TRAGEDY

 "May Gray" has greeted us many mornings with an overcast sky here in SoCal but one morning this past week the world darkened with the loss of children's innocent lives once again -- this time in Texas.  

School shootings -- 27 this year -- NPR reports HERE.  That's right, shootings in schools 27 times so far ... with  seven more months left in the year!    You've all heard and read by now about this "unspeakable tragedy" in Uvalde, Texas.

We hear all the same platitudes we've heard with every one of these indefensible human tragedies since 2012.  Prayer isn't enough.  

Weapons of war do not belong in the hands of civilians, those mentally ill, perhaps not even with teens whose judgement has not yet matured until well into their twenties as summarized by NPR HERE.

Our U.S. Senate has done nothing to correct the gun problem despite the fact the vast majority of the American people have called for reform for years. 

"Australia, Britain, Canada, and other countries have enacted reforms ..."   How they did it described in John Cassidy's New Yorker article "HOW TO PREVENT GUN MASSACRES?  LOOK AROUND THE WORLD" you can read HERE.

In the Senate, legislative bills to address the issue passed by the House of Representatives, forwarded to the Senate, are not even allowed to come up for a vote.   Aren't these legislators supposed to reflect the will of the people?  Or is it only a few minority views that take precedence?  

Those who misinterpret our constitution as to gun ownership rights to politicize the issue serve only to mislead our citizens that all guns will be taken from them.  This falsehood couldn't be further from the truth.  

I hope when election time rolls around that all those politicians stonewalling firearm ownership reform ... they certainly aren't leaders ... are voted out of office.

Jimmy Kimmel on Elementary School Shooting in Uvalde, Texas

Ten years ago Ronni Bennett wrote about the Connecticut Sandy Hook atrocity on "Time Goes By" HERE.  Just substitute Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas for her words which apply to this recent massacre.  This time 21 people -- 19 children killed -- an 18-year-old shooter.   

Here's a taste of what Ronni wrote:

"No matter the gazillion words that have and will continue to pour forth the bottom line is that this is a gun crime.  Got that?  A person who was barely an adult himself shot 27 people with a lot of guns."

"...we must do something ... yeah, yeah, yeah ...

"... the NRA, its lobbyists and Congress members who readily accept that organization's campaign contributions will continue to make it easier to buy and own guns."

"...there will be a lot of calls for more armed guards in schools and no useful changes to gun laws."

Ronni hoped she would be wrong a decade ago when she wrote those words as I do now.  

Law enforcement, school guard, with all their guns did not protect those children and 2 teachers from being murdered in Texas.  The husband of one teacher died with a heart attack a few days later.

How many more slaughters over how many more decades must pass before we reform gun laws?

Maybe this time no one will allow this assault to fade out of consciousness, moving on to the next story.  Instead, holding all those legislators feet to the fire until they act to resolve this.

Maybe this time the people will keep the pressure on all those spewing the same ol' rhetoric so we can begin to end these horrors ...

"June Gloom", not just in the weather sense, has regrettably arrived early in a most unwelcome form.

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Eaglet Spirit was to be the focus of this blog post and then there was the unexpected tragedy above.

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I had to take a break once again from all that's happened here and elsewhere in our world to retain my sanity, so I visited the birds -- the Bald Eagle birds and their eaglet.   I hope you take similar breaks for whatever gives you pleasure for your own mental health.  

I don't forget what's happening, but viewing these eagles, especially any eaglets, or listening to music, and instances prompting lots of laughter offer positive health stimulation and healing to offset incessant brooding and worrying violence-laden events can trigger. 

I will keep the pressure on for meaningful change in every way I can, however limited, but certainly by how I vote for all federal government offices -- legislators especially.   Focus on local offices, also  -- school boards, sheriffs, city councils, mayors, board of supervisors, state offices, and judges at all levels of government.  I hope you and others will too.

Big Bear Bald Eagle couple, Jackie and Shadow, live in a nearby Southern California picturesque popular mountain resort area in a large twig and limb-filled nest 145 feet high up in a Jeffrey Pine tree.  Their nest overlooking a scenic fish-filled lake of bluish water at lowered level now due to our drought is where they've raised their family each season.  Their daily lives have been of ongoing interest on this blog for a number of years. 

There's a live camera focused 24/7 directly on their nest, and a second wide angle camera focused on the tree area to cover eagle flights from a distance.  This year only one of two eggs hatched an eaglet thought to be a female that local area school children named Spirit.

I checked in on the bald eagle family earlier one night this past week, heard coyotes howling in the distance.  Then I saw Spirit awaken, to sit and scratch her baby fluff away from new adult feathers growing in while Mother Jackie continued her watch close by perched on the nest's edge.

Spirit is on fledge watch, could make her first flight from the nest any time now.  She periodically jumps up and down, twists and turns, hops about from her nest's front porch to back porch, spreads and rapidly flaps those massive wings at an increasing rate to strengthen all her muscles, but just hasn't risked leaving the nest yet to soar in the sky.  If you want to check in on Spirit, the link is HERE.

One afternoon mother Jackie and father Shadow were both at the nest with daughter Spirit.  After eating the fish delivered and partially fed to Spirit she demonstrated all her flight preparation moves flitting from the front porch to the back porch.  She bombarded her parents with lots of vocal "squees" communicating who knows what which they seem to understand but gave no sound response.

I peeked in on the nest later that night.  Shadow had departed, probably to a nearby tree where he positioned himself as a security monitor.  Jackie remained on the front porch with Spirit close by.  A couple times mother with intense gazes joined her responding daughter as their bodies appeared to press close to each other.

I was startled twice when Jackie after glaring at something out of camera range suddenly leapt forward with slapping wing flaps in attack mode.  It may have been the notorious flying squirrel, Fiona, or cohort Fast Freddy as these strictly nocturnal creatures attempt to invade the nest disturbing everyone's sleep.   

Big Bear Eagles Fiona Proves That She is Indeed A FLYING Squirrel 

(Thanks to Cali Condor and Friends of Big Bear Valley for this 2021-04-06 video)

"Upon seeing spread eagle Shadow, Fiona launches ... into the air .... Hopefully the landing was successful"... since "Flying Squirrels can't really fly".


These Bald Eagles are threatened by another proposed development in Big Bear once again I'm concerned to read.

Many letters of protest have been written to California U. S. Senator Dianne Feinstein and Senator Alex Padilla to aid in preserving these eagles' home there.  A recent Chat post requests no more letters be sent to them due to "an amazing show of support".  This Facebook link provides details of the Moon Camp Conservation Purchase HERE.

Local area school children also wrote letters to save the eagles their teachers report in comments on that Facebook site if you scroll down the screen.

More Moon Camp development information is provided about this threat to the Bald Eagles that can be read HERE.   Increased fire risk is also reported which the Big Bear mountain human community wouldn't welcome either, any time, but especially not now in our drought-ridden state.

Friends of Big Bear Valley and Big Bear Eagle Nest Cam web site provide lots more particulars including photos and a history of the area HERE

Another major concerning issue for the lives of bald eagles everywhere is a report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.  An alarming number of bald eagles (in recent years an endangered species), other raptors and birds are dying due to bird flu you can read about in this Phys Org. article "Bird flu takes unheard-of-toll on bald eagles, other birds" HERE. 

I end this commentary on a cautious but optimistically hopeful note for long overdue resolution of these distressing human and avian challenges to all desiring to lead a tolerant peaceful life, or just to live -- period.

update 5/31/22

BIG BEAR BALD EAGLE SPIRIT HAS FLEDGED!

32 comments:

  1. Ramana Rajgopaul5/29/2022 3:36 AM

    The shooting has shocked us over here too but, not being an American, I would rather not comment on your internal problem. The avian problems exist here too and particularly with on and off successes with reviving and increasing the population of our vultures.

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    1. Another example of our problems increasingly being universal. Maybe they always were and we're only just beginning to pay more attention to our shared concerns, realizing just how connected we really are.

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  2. Guns don't kill people, people kill people, but guns make people who kill people very efficient! More intelligent gun regulation will not solve all the gun issues, but it will solve some. Qualified people should be able to own guns...all weapons should not be exempt, and 16-24 year old kids with crazy eyes should never be allowed to own or even hold a gun.

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    1. When I read what has been achieved in other nations to deter these mass killings it would seem we could learn a lot by noting what they have done.

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  3. Always amazes me. The public so out numbers the 2nd amendment folks but we can't get anything done. I'll keep trying in the voting booth.
    I hadn't been to visit the eagle family in a while and was surprised how big Spirit was---and noisy. Hope to catch the fledging.

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    1. It's amazing to me how quickly the eaglets grow once they're hatched -- literally overnight it seems.

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  4. We are all so vulnerable and also something else that gives me hope. I'm grateful for your posts, Joared. What a joy to know about this eagle family and to see Spirit about to fledge in this extended time of human grief.

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    1. Life goes on for those of us not in the line of fire, but my heart goes out to the families of those not so fortunate. Seeing new life in all its many forms can be comforting.

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  5. I am so mad and heart broken! We need to break the hold the NRA has over the Republican party if we're ever going to get sensible gun control measures passed nation wide.

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    1. I agree. I'm not anti-gun as I've used them quite responsibly in years past when we lived in the country but the NRA's stance opposing sane and sensible regulation defies common sense. Perhaps their bottom line is strictly commercial -- wanting to sell more firearms -- despite all their patriotic rhetoric.

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  6. Oh gosh! We just returned from a long overseas trip, thoroughly jetlagged to hear about this Texas shooting and again with the "thoughts and prayers." It's more than I can stand. And yet... here we go again. NRA still held their convention with Trump willing to speak for them just a few miles from that awful tragedy. I'm a retired teacher who had to practice what to do with my children if a gunman or woman entered our school. And this was many years ago. Nothing has changed or it's gotten worse. It's more... more than I can stand.

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    1. Not a very pleasant welcome home when you returned to the U.S. I can imagine that teachers don't need the added stress every school day with the possibility of maybe facing one of these events in their classroom.

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  7. There is little than I can add to all that has been said about the tragedy in Uvalde, except to urge people to get out and vote every Republican out of office. As long as people like Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Mitch McConnell etc continue to have influence and power, nothing will change. In fact, it will probably get worse. Those of us who live outside the United States don't even recognize the country any more.

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    1. Our country has moved backward and away from the values for which this nation has stood. Hopefully we'll be able to salvage our nation and move forward in the years ahead.

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  8. I hear you about gun control. I don't think the GOP will ever change their policy. So sad. As for eagles, we never see them in Hawaii.

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    1. Maybe Hawaii is too warm for the Bald Eagles as they seem to thrive in cold temperatures -- are in Alaska.

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  9. Your reminder about what Ronni Bennett wrote 10 years ago sounds like the conversation my husband and I had this morning while the news was on the kitchen tv. All those words...they've all been said before, after every single shooting. And nothing changes. I go back to Columbine, remembering that day so clearly and thinking about those privileged white boys and thinking it was an anomaly. Fat lot I knew! Every shooting since then makes me shudder and cry, and then nothing changes. I really have to look away because it all becomes too much after all these years.

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    1. I share your view. Each time we think something will be done, then nothing. Once again, I hope this time will finally be different.

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  10. Eagles have such a baby like voice for all their fierce demeanor.

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    1. True. I've read a hawk's voice that sounds more fierce has been dubbed in over the Bald Eagle's in some videos or movies for effect. (I don't usually publish Anon comments but yours is an exception since there's no unacceptable content).

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  11. I always thought politicians were meant to face down anti-social vested interests, but somehow that never happens with the gun lobby. I suspect because a lot of politicians are bought off by those vested interests.

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    1. What's supposed to be and what is are often two different things as you note.

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  12. I don't know how Republican senators sleep at night.

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  13. I am so glad to be out of the classroom. After Columbine, when no meaningful reforms to gun laws were enacted, I felt sickened. When Sandy Hook happened, I was sure the spectre of all those dead first graders would be what finally shook up the republicans. How wrong I was. They are depraved, pure and simple. I cannot understand their minds, set only upon power; I'm grateful not to understand individuals like that.

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    1. Teachers in the classroom shouldn't have to be subjected to this madness much less their students having to share concerns for themselves, too.

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  14. It's painful to write about mass murders, but it feels like a dereliction of duty not to. I appreciate your post. We must have been writing at the same time because I've been working on the same theme for a week, and I'm so glad to be done that I have no words for it.

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    1. I appreciate your feeling this massacre cannot be ignored.

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  15. Well Joared, as you well know, it's not the government itself, it's those politicians who are bought and paid for by the NRA. the deep rooted problem of powerful lobbies overruling the will of the people. When 4 days later in Texas the NRA had its annual gun-fest and shouted that all that was needed in schools were armed school teachers. I despair of this domestic terrorism ever being eliminated.
    XO
    WWW

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    1. More guns are hardly the answer as most people understand. Perhaps some of these politicians catering to the NRA will be voted out of office since they seem inclined to play politics with peoples lives.

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  16. When it comes to election time, we have to hope that people will forget about their pocket books and prioritize the rights and safety of young children and their fellow men. We will have to continue to remind them that there are issues more important than the price of gasoline.

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    1. So true. Thanks for stopping by and sharing your perspective.

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