Christian Cooper speaks about Amy Cooper, racism & bird-watching with the NYT

For whatever record, I am 100% here for turning Christian Cooper into a legitimate celebrity. He’s more compelling and interesting than 99% of the people in the entertainment industry. Christian Cooper is the African-American bird-watcher who was threatened by “Central Park Karen” Amy Cooper several days ago. He told her to leash her dog. She called the cops and claimed that she was being threatened by an African-American man. She ended up losing her dog and her job and she’s currently been investigated by the police and the city’s human rights department. In the wake of the Central Park Karen incident, people have been sharing video clips of Christian Cooper talking about birds and bird-watching in the city. He’s a beautiful, buff Harvard-educated bird nerd and I love him. And I loved him even more after reading this New York Times interview with him – he took the Times reporter bird-watching in the park yesterday. Some highlights:

He knows that we all make mistakes: “Any of us can make — not necessarily a racist mistake, but a mistake. And to get that kind of tidal wave in such a compressed period of time, it’s got to hurt. It’s got to hurt. I’m not excusing the racism. But I don’t know if her life needed to be torn apart.” He opened his mouth to speak further and then stopped himself. He had been about to say the phrase, “that poor woman,” he later acknowledged, but he could not bring himself to complete the thought.

He has no doubt that her intent was racial: “She went racial. There are certain dark societal impulses that she, as a white woman facing in a conflict with a black man, that she thought she could marshal to her advantage. I don’t know if it was a conscious thing or not. But she did it, and she went there.”

His love of birding: Mr. Cooper’s love of birding began at age 10, he said, when his parents, two Long Island schoolteachers, enrolled him in a 4-H program. There, in a woodworking class, he crafted a bird feeder that he set in his lawn. The creatures that flocked to it set off a fascination that has endured for four decades, through his time at Harvard, where he graduated with a degree in political science, and into his years as an editor for Marvel Comics, where he is credited with creating one of the first gay characters in the Star Trek comic universe.

How do we make progress: “If we are going to make progress, we’ve got to address these things, and if this painful process is going to help us address this — there’s the yellow warbler! If this painful process — oh, a Baltimore oriole just flew across!— helps to correct, or takes us a step further toward addressing the underlying racial, horrible assumptions that we African-Americans have to deal with, and have dealt with for centuries, that this woman tapped into, then it’s worth it. Sadly, it has to come at her expense.”

He read Amy Cooper’s apology: He called it “a start.” He said he was not interested in meeting her or in any face-to-face reconciliation.

He knows there aren’t many black bird-watchers, but: “We should be out here. The birds belong to all of us. The birds don’t care what color you are.”

[From The NY Times]

Again, I am completely here for more profiles of and interviews with Christian Cooper. Get him to do a weekly bird-watchers column in the Times. Give him a talk show on PBS. Give him a bird-watching and race-relations Netflix documentary. Anyway, yeah – he didn’t have to show any sympathy for Amy Cooper but he did, which is more than she’s shown him all week. If he had not gotten her on video, Amy Cooper’s version of what went down would have been very different, I have no doubt. And he knows that too.

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Photos courtesy of Instagram/NYT and screencaps from Topic video.

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108 Responses to “Christian Cooper speaks about Amy Cooper, racism & bird-watching with the NYT”

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  1. Sara says:

    Seems like a great man. Birding is really cool.

  2. Darkladi says:

    I, for one, am totally here for that woman’s life to be torn apart.

    • Mtec says:

      Same. She wanted his life torn apart just because he pointed out a rule she was breaking. She did this to herself.

      • Esmom says:

        I was thinking about this a bit earlier, why would him calmly asking her to leash her dog trigger such a violent reaction from her? I am not excusing the racism at all but I gotta believe she has some anger management or other issues? Her response to him was just so grossly out of proportion to his simple request.

        And I think having her life torn apart isn’t going to fix racism, but I’m here for it, too. I can’t stop thinking about how she seemed perfectly fine with ruining or even ending his life. She was evil in that moment.

      • ClaireB says:

        @Esmom, I’m not really sure why, but there are people in my area who bring their dogs to the county park where my kids play soccer. There are signs up that dogs are not allowed at this park, but last season, there were a couple of families that started bringing their dogs, one a German Shepherd that might make someone scared of dogs a little nervous. As an adult, I felt like I should be able to simply say to them, “Hey, I’m not sure you saw the signs, but there aren’t supposed to be dogs at this park.” But this is Florida, land of Stand Your Ground and Trump supporters, and I’m actually afraid to confront anyone about following the rules. They seem to get angry when being asked to, like the rules are there for other people and don’t apply to them because of their special circumstances.

      • R. says:

        @Esmon, I’m a WOC (not of African descent and not considered dark skinned) in a very, very white space and I can guarantee you, it doesn’t take much for a white person to perceive me as rude, impolite and uncivilised. I’m often perceived as less intelligent than them (even about my own culture or culture similar to mine’s due to close geographical proximity or shared history). So yeah, super plausible that her reaction was just out of pure ‘I’m white, you’re ‘black’, therefore you don’t have the right to correct me’ racism.

      • Jordana says:

        @esmom,
        I think it’s a little bit “dog person” mentality? I don’t know if there’s a word for it…maybe just entitled people with dogs.
        There a trail very close to my home, and I have tried to enjoy running and walking it. But 9 times out of 10, I encounter a dog (and this is very clearly a on-leash only area with signage). I’ve been chased by dogs, scared by dogs, and I’ve confronted the owners sometimes. They are never too far away, they saunter over to me without any hurry, and blow me off and say “he’s friendly” and “it’s not a big deal”
        I fully admit I’m not a “dog person” but when an off leash dog is chasing me, it’s absolutely terrifying.
        I was cycling down my own street once, and I heard a growl, next saw a bulldog leap off a porch and ran to me, got in front of my bike and hunkered down, growling. I had to stop. I froze actually. Shouting for help, and the owner eventually, showing no signs of hurrying, walked over and got his dog. While berating me for “making such a big deal”. I also had my 2 kids on bikes behind me.

        Imo, that Karen in Central park definitely had racism as her main driver. Also entitled dog people!! Why cant they just take care of their damn dogs correctly? Signs says “leash”. Use a damn leash.

      • CROWHOOD says:

        I think She is a classist racist. A VP at Franklin Templeton is used to having people do what she says and not telling her what to do. I think she couldn’t believe somebody told her what to do, and that it was a Black man- that was the final straw.

        What a hag.

      • Lara says:

        @Jordana
        I would recommend looking into your city/county/municipal laws with respect to dog bites and be ready to cite those codes. In some places you can be entitled to quite a lot of money if a dog bites you and you file a lawsuit. Also have Animal Control’s number on your phone.

        Dog bites are no joke. I worked in a veterinary ER and they can inflict serious damage and you never know if the dog is up to date on their rabies vaccinations.

      • Reece says:

        Yes! This is karma. There is no way she has not done this to someone else. whether race was involved or not. That is clearly her personality.

      • pottymouth pup says:

        @Jordana No, it’s not a dog person thing. Most responsible dog owners are extremely frustrated with those dog owners who walk their dogs off lead in places where they need to be leashed (and with people who insist on using those awful retractable leashes). Based on Cooper’s, now private, IG and all the scary/dangerous incidents w/her dog that she she posted, including a couple where they were “threatened,” it’s about a need for attention and to be seen as some sort of hero. Had this not blown up in her face, I have no doubt she would have rushed home to take a pic of her dog and post about how they were threatened by a man as they were innocently walking in the park and how she had to call the cops to escape him.

      • Jordana says:

        @Lara
        Thanks for the info.
        I’ve actually had to call the municipal officers regarding the dog. After the bulldog incident with me on a bike.
        Basically I was finally able to identify a person a dog and an address, in the parks, people run off and there was nothing I could do.
        With the bulldog incident, the owner got 2 tickets because of my complaint. $250 fine for allowing the dog to make a threat (stopping me on my bike) and $250 for having a “dog at large”. They actually had 2 bull dogs 1 threatened me, and the other watched close by. That’s also wht it was particularly terrifying. I remember I had to push my bike home because I was still trembling too much to ride.
        Not great for neighbour relations, but I dont know what else to do. I need to be able to walk or ride down the street without worrying about being attacked.

    • Mabs A'Mabbin says:

      I’m with you. I’m hoping she’s a catalyst. Bad things need to happen to white people who call upon race. When I’m showing my son that video, discussing everything surrounding it and then not much later discussing George Floyd’s need for air and dying under a cop’s knee, I simply don’t know how else to say it. Bring. Them. Down. CONSEQUENCES. Debilitating, life-altering consequences. Those cops should be incarcerated. This fragile crazy flower needs to learn race isn’t going help her, but it will shine a bright light on injustice and ruin lives for those who call upon it. Using race isn’t a card. It should be a crime. A very expensive crime.

  3. Juls says:

    She tried to destroy his life, but wound up destroying her own instead. Its very gracious of him to feel bad for her, because he doesn’t have too. SHE is the only one that should feel bad. But she doesn’t, at least not for what she did, she only feels bad for herself.

    • Lua says:

      He’s such a good human. He should definitely have a PBS show teaching children life lessons while walking through nature!

      • Mtec says:

        Omg yes! @Lua.
        I would 10/10 watch that. Also I would read anything he writes. Also I would vote for him for president if he decides to use that political science degree, (jk, i’m Canadian) haha. I just adore him! Hope only good things come his way from now on.

      • Juls says:

        I would totally watch that too!

      • Pineapple says:

        He would be like the new Mr. Rogers … but a terribly handsome birder. XO

      • minx says:

        I’m on board.

      • Dee Kay says:

        Oh wow that is a GREAT idea for a TV series!!!! Good thinking!

    • So-called says:

      I completely agree w his overall, assessment, all facts stand for themselves. She went there.

      However as a chameleon WOC who can “pass” as white…I learned to weaponize several cultures as I grew up in a mixed neighborhood in the 70s.

      If ANYone said “now I’m gonna do something you don’t like” and lured my dog away w a treat…I.would. Lose. My. Mind.

      I would use any weapon that made sense. Psychological seems the only viable cache. She went to the ugliest weapon – we all agree she used the lynch whistle. Where would anyone go, in her situation? I’m not at all saying she should have threatened his life or demanded his skin color. No. I’m just sincerely asking where any non black person would go? This question is part of the healing- we all agree to end the war on Black ppl…

      • Lara says:

        Do you keep your dog off leash in an area that clearly requires leashes? If you don’t leash your dog, you have no justification for losing your mind.

      • Silas says:

        This is not about loving your pet. It’s an entitlement issue. The woman was wrong and went on to hurt her own dog.

        If you are in the wrong and double down, that’s on you behaving in an unhealthy way.

      • MuttonChop says:

        It’s been stated elsewhere that he carried dog treats to prove that an off leash dog is going to go after treats, it’s clearly going to disturb birds, which is problematic in a bird watching area that specifically prohibits off-leash dogs.

        She was wrong and not in harm’s way. She escalated the situation to one that could have cost him his life. Hers was never in danger.

      • GirlMonday says:

        Edit: @Muttonchop, I misplaced my comment. I meant to respond to “So-called” below.

        This point of view is essentially the murky problem. It doesn’t hold her accountable and immediately shifts the responsibility onto the innocent party. If she had her dog on leash, and both she and it were minding there own business, then you may have a point.

        But instead she started out all kinds of wrong, and when she couldn’t stand strong in her wrong, because the dog would prove his point by running to the treat, she got racist.

        Nowadays, I think the source of much racism is in the direction of one’s empathy.

      • Luciana says:

        I do not understand this question? If she put her dog on the leash, the way should should have done to begin with, he couldn’t have lured the dog away with a treat so this seems invalid to me.

      • Lara says:

        Also regarding your statement re “any weapon that made sense” and “where would anyone go, in her situation.” How about an apology and complying with the law?

        You, as a self proclaimed chameleon who passes as white, seem to enjoy exploiting the very privilege that we’ve been discussing.

    • So-called says:

      I completely agree w his overall, assessment, all facts stand for themselves. She went there.

      However as a chameleon WOC who can “pass” as white…I learned to weaponize several cultures as I grew up in a mixed neighborhood, often violent school, q in the 70s.

      If ANYone said “now I’m gonna do something you don’t like” and lured my dog away w a treat…I.would. Lose. My. Mind.

      I would use any weapon that made sense. Psychological seems the only viable cache. She went to the ugliest weapon – that’s what he agreed. She went there. Where would anyone go, in her situation? I’m not at all saying she should have refused to leash her dog in the1st place , OR. to threaten his life. No. I’m just sincerely asking where any non-black person would go? This question is part of the healing. Crack it open and get honest.

      • Watson says:

        Wait. Wouldn’t the most logical weapon to be to leash your dog and leave?

      • Bettyrose says:

        But the dog was completely in her control when she went off on him, so the whole thing was unnecessary. I’m a pretty responsible dog owner myself but I’ve been lectured and mansplained more times than I can count while out with my dog (who looks part pit bull so men love to talk about her). I admit I’ve made some some less than ladylike comments about penis size to especially awful mansplainers (well…actually…she’s clearly 47.3 percent pit bull so…)..And I get the agitation of yet another man lecturing you..but her reaction had nothing to do with the situation. It was something ugly deep-seeded in her expressing itself.

    • NotSoSocialButterfly says:

      The depth of his grace is incalculable.

    • lucy2 says:

      Gracious is the perfect word. He seems like a really thoughtful and kind man.

      I’m fine with the repercussions she has faced. Death threats are never ok though, people need to stop with that nonsense, but everything else, she brought on herself.

  4. Allie says:

    Great guy!

  5. Anna says:

    I love how his attention span becomes that of a 3 year old as soon as a bird flies by. That shows his absolute passion for bird watching and it’s just something so special.

    What a decent man, well spoken and reflecting. Hats off. I would watch the * out of a bird show with him. Let us get to know him, not Amy.

  6. Scollins says:

    You’re so right. We need more of this man.

  7. OriginalLala says:

    I adore him – and I agree, he is wayyy more interesting than 99% of people in the entertainment industry!

  8. Piratewench says:

    He’s smart to have a human heart towards her situation but to not engage with her ever again or to excuse her.

    At the risk of being repetitive to the last thread on this incident (great conversation to read through the day, so many perspectives on this), he is dealing with a racist with a personality disorder. You’re absolutely right that if she wasn’t caught on video she would still be playing the victim and lying her ass off. Christian is smart to just stay far away and leave her to the misery she has created for herself, and he’s a big person for the way he spoke about her here.

    He is showing himself to be a dynamic, educated, thoughtful person. To think, when Amy Cooper had a conflict with him alllll she saw was his color and alllll she wanted to do was use her systemic advantage to intimidate and potentially truly harm him. She’s a cluster B menace, one among many. Racism + personality disorder is an extremely dangerous combo.

    • Purplehazeforever says:

      Well said. He has empathy for her when many don’t have it. He is a good person where she probably isn’t. Personality disorders are hard to treat.

    • megs283 says:

      He seems like an amazing person who is also extremely emotionally healthy (a rare thing these days!). As someone suggested above…can we have a PBS bird-watching show with a Mr. Rogers spin? Because I would love to watch that.

      Also, to the people who think he should meet with her…I want to say, she already HAD her chance. And she completely blew it in the Ramble.

  9. Agnes says:

    He is a thoughtful classy person but what Amy Cooper did would have been no less wrong if he were uneducated and inarticulate and sporting dreads and gold teeth, for instance. I can’t feel sorry for her.

    • Piratewench says:

      This is such an important point.

    • CommentingBunny says:

      Yes, exactly! Thank you for making that point. That woman’s actions would have been disgusting no matter who her victim was. I wish this had never happened and I’d come to known of Christian Cooper by way of a viral birding video.

    • LaraK says:

      This!!

      He is awesome, but that’s not why she was wrong.

      We have to be careful about our own prejudices here. It’s like if a well educated, soft spoken church girl gets assaulted vs. a loud mouthed, uncouth girl who dresses sexy. They are both assault, regardless of who the victim is.

      • Agnes says:

        It’s almost like she went off on him BECAUSE he was so “safe.” Like her deep racism kicked in and said, you may be well-spoken, but I’ll show you who owns the world, uppity one: KAREN.

    • Darla says:

      Oh that’s a good point. In a way he’s that elusive “perfect victim”, but you don’t have to be perfect to be a victim. I am right now hearing that animal trump in my head saying “he was no angel, let me tell you”. It makes me shudder. That’s what they do though. You don’t have to be an angel to be treated humanely!

    • Bettyrose says:

      Agnes – Exactly! A less than media-perfect person was murdered in the same news cycle following a confusing call to the police. Perfection is a pretty f**kng high standard for the right to live.

    • lucy2 says:

      That is an excellent point.

    • Otaku fairy says:

      +1000.

    • VS says:

      @Agnes ——– thanks vm for saying that. Indeed, she would have still being in the wrong!!!

  10. whateveryousay says:

    Love him and I love that he even checked himself and realized his default was to feel sorry for her and went, wait a second. Racism is systemic and it’s hard to break down.

  11. Barbara Owens-DeWitt says:

    Forgiveness is for us not the offender. Harvard must be pluming their feathers with pride. Well done, Mr. Cooper.

  12. CommentingBunny says:

    I hate how he came to our attention. I love that I know about him now, because he’s a delight.

  13. Jess says:

    I adore him and the fact that he was fighting for his birds! I’ve become a bird watcher the last two years and there’s something so peaceful and calming about it, and you get all excited when you see a new one in your area. I highly recommend it.

    I don’t feel sorry for Amy Cooper, she did this, and I hope other white women learn from her mistakes. I also can’t shake this feeling that she’s going to hurt herself to try to gain sympathy. An attempted suicide or something so she can play the victim, which she does oh so well, her behavior on the video and her woe is me apology showed us that.

    • NotSoSocialButterfly says:

      We have had the delightful presence of a Baltimore Oriole singing away in our back yard for about a week. We’ve been at our home for 15 years, and have never heard one before… when we lived in Maine, I fell in love with the evening call of a Hermit Thrush. Prettiest and most haunting call I have ever heard as it carries through the woods from afar.
      .https://musicofnature.com/project/hermit-thrush/

  14. jaylee says:

    I’ve recently taken up bird watching. My grandfather gave me his bird books before he passed 5 years ago & with the lockdown I’ve had the time to explore & identify different species. Being aware of your surroundings & the creatures you share them with is a beautiful thing. I would watch the hell out of a PBS birdwatching show hosted by Mr. Cooper.

  15. Lua says:

    Omg!!! Can he be today’s Mr. Rodgers????!
    It would be brilliant and my toddler would definitely tune in

  16. Darby says:

    Love him! More Christian Cooper please. I would love to see him talk about racism while he watches birds.

  17. Feebee says:

    She knew what she was doing when she made that call. So the cops roll up, see a black man with “something in his hand”, he’s built like a brick outhouse… threatening much? What could *possibly* go wrong.

    Mr Cooper does indeed sound like a lovely man, way more understanding that his assailant deserves. Whether she deserves her life to be trashed…. well…. has she been living under a rock? She didn’t stop to think of the consequences for anyone it seems.

    • Noodle says:

      @feebee, did you catch the way her voice changed when she got on the phone with the dispatcher? She 100% knew what she was doing.

  18. Valiantly Varnished says:

    He can miss me with the forgiveness BS. Im tired of black folks – black men especially- giving racists a pass. This woman wanted what happened to George Floyd to happen to him. And even with all his education he’s too dumb to get that and thinks she doesn’t deserve to “have her life ruined”. Really?? Because she certainly wanted to ruin YOURS.

    • Desdemona says:

      He’s being better than her, above her.

      • Elizabeth says:

        There’s a lot of racist social pressure for black people to forgive racist attacks and be sorry for the oppressor and we need to recognize that as an insidious form of maintaining racism.

        Do not feel sorry for Amy Cooper. Feel sorry for the black men and women and children who’ve suffered police brutality up to and including murder. THAT is being the better person.

      • Bella says:

        @ Elizabeth
        +1

      • Desdemona says:

        I don’t feel sorry for her at all. Where in my comment do I say I feel sorry for her? i’m complementing him on his attitude. You’re reading too much in my comment. I couldn’t care less about an idiot like her.

      • Noodle says:

        @Elizabeth, this is such an important point. People who have egregiously wronged someone else think that once they shed tears and show remorse (especially white woman tears), that should excuse their behavior. This, and so many racially motivated attacks like it, aren’t situations where anyone owes anyone forgiveness. This woman committed a heinous act, based solely on race, and a quick apology to make it go away doesn’t suffice. He owes her nothing.

  19. Mellie says:

    What a kind, calm soul. He’s a better human than I would have been in that situation. Sure, a few weeks, months, years down the road I might have had this attitude, but 1-2 days after….still bitter.

  20. I’m hearing reports that Amy Cooper is a Liberal. Might be one of those virtue signalling ‘Liberals’ whose mask slips when it comes to the crunch.

    • Esmom says:

      I’m not sure what you’re trying to imply but if you’re expecting liberals to defend her, dream on.

      • Karen for Kloubuchar says:

        I’m implying that I don’t trust people just because they talk the talk.

    • jra says:

      She could be a liberal. She’s probably even posted somewhere #blacklivesmatter or something along those lines. This kind of racism that she embodies is the scariest, because it’s so embedded. Her actions said – laws that apply to you don’t apply to me because I am white and you are black. Her actions also said – if you were white you could tell me that I need to leash my dog. But a black person can’t do that. She could be saying yay, I am liberal, I support blacks, but deep down she still thinks she’s better…

      • NextToMe says:

        This. I’ve met so many problematic white liberals. They try their best, but the racism is far too ingrained.

  21. Mich says:

    I became an avid bird watcher on my first safari. Had planned a bird watching trip through the Louisiana bayous for March but decided to put it off to avoid the influx of Mardi Gras tourists. Good thing too… For people interested in seeing what Captivating Christian sees, there are a couple of NYC bird watching accounts on Twitter that post daily sightings. It is very cathartic when their posts pop up between all of the venom and madness.

    Anyway, I don’t think Amy Cooper went to racism consciously…and that makes what she did even more sinister. To win an argument/get her way, she instinctively pulled out the most dangerous card she could play to put a black man in his place and assert her authority over him. Awful woman.

    • Darla says:

      Do you happen to know the names of these account Mich?

      • Mich says:

        (at)birdcentralpark is a good one.

        The NYC Audobon can be depressing sometimes. For example, right now, a bunch of migratory birds are breaking their necks flying into a very shiny condo building.

        Also, if you aren’t already, check out (at)m_crouton. It is a rescue farm that posts awesome videos several times a day. Makes for a delightful break from the general ugliness that is Twitter.

  22. Peanutbuttr says:

    The NY Daily News dug up an old incident where she tried to sue an “ex-boyfriend” who she claimed conned her out of $65k. The case was eventually thrown out as neither showed up in court and the ex-boyfriend is denying even having had a relationship with her.

  23. grabbyhands says:

    He is far more gracious and forgiving than I would be in that position.

    I don’t feel sorry for her at all – she was at a moment ready to use the police as a weapon against a man who had done nothing to her and now she’s paying the price for it. If he hadn’t videotaped it, god knows what would have happened, but it could very well have involved a shooting and she was okay with that. She’s a disgusting person and deserves all the bad karma coming her way.

    And really, how long is she going to suffer? She’s a wealthy white woman – some other company is going to give her a cushy job and eventually she’ll score an interview with someone and get to sob about how scary the bad black man was and how her life was destroyed blah, blah, blah.

  24. ojulia123 says:

    I’d love to meet Mr. Cooper and talk about birds! I have 4 bird feeders in my yard and I am obsessed.

    As for feeling sorry for Ms. Cooper, I just can’t. She had her dog off-leash in an area marked as leash only. She lied to the 911 operator and said that he was threatening her life and identified her “attacker” as African American. She knew what she was doing and she could have gotten him killed.

  25. MellyMel says:

    Mr. Cooper seems like such a nice man and is handling this far greater than I would.

  26. Agnes says:

    Most importantly – f@ck you a gazillion times, Central Park Karen.

    My son spends his summers in the Audubon day camp in our area. He loves it so much and will miss it terribly this summer (screw you, COVID-19!). It’s good to see that such awesome people are behind the scenes at Audubon.

  27. Case says:

    Harvard graduate, bird watcher, former Marvel Comics editor, and created one of the first gay Star Trek characters? What a cool man. I’m horrified that this happened to him, but I’m glad NYT dug into his story and allowed us to get to know him. He’s handling this situation with far more grace and kindness than I would.

  28. Amelie says:

    I want this man to take me on a birdwatching tour of Central Park. I wonder what he thought when the beautiful Mandarin duck randomly showed up in Central Park a few years ago??? Hahaha it was such a big story even the New York Times covered it!

    Central Park has way more wildlife than people realize. Coyotes have even been spotted in the park (and the rangers are aware of them), one as recently as January 2020. How they got there into the concrete jungle, no one knows but they are crafty and smart and they can also swim. I remember I was so excited when Is a red tailed hawk in Riverside Park dive after a rabbit when I lived in Manhattan because I didn’t realize there were hawks in the city (I had always seen them in the suburbs, and oh the rabbit got away haha).

  29. Oh-Dear says:

    the instagram page @theconsciouskid has been doing amazing work making visible (language and descriptions) of White Cultural Supremacy (primacy of white culture), Individual and Systemic Racism and more. Some of their posts keep getting tagged and taken down so they are doing the work of educating followers in spite of the barriers this type of learning keeps putting in front go them. They are insightful, thoughtful, and in plain language.

  30. CMChat says:

    HIS life could have been ruined or worse if the cops shot and asked questions later. She deserves nothing. More Christian Cooper please!!!

  31. a reader says:

    If anyone is interested, NPR is doing a story on this right now.

    Christian Cooper for Mr. Rogers version 2.0 please. He’s a delightful human and I wish him nothing but the best.

  32. Thaisajs says:

    How anyone could find him scary is beyond me. Hot? YES. Totally.

  33. Soupie says:

    Right, THAISAJS?!
    All I know is if hot professorial Mr. Cooper approached me and asked me to leash up my dog I’d say why yes sir excuse me and can you take me bird watching?! But my dogs wouldn’t be off leash in the 1st place. And I’d actually be polite to Anybody who asked me to leash up my dog.

    I wonder if it’s really being considered about a Mr. Rogers type program on, say PBS for Mr. Cooper. I bet it is! 😀

    It does seem like he might be gay that’s OK of course. I wonder how he is handling all the newfound fame and lust lol

  34. schmootc says:

    Birds kind of weird me out a little. (Mean roosters are scary when you’re five or six.) But I love that he was in 4-H. So few people still doing that!

  35. Andrew’s Nemesis says:

    Karen Cooper had an expensive little tantrum, didn’t she? But anything she’s experienced as a result of her bone-deep, toxic racism is not a fraction of what would have occurred if she had not been filmed. This delightful (and yes, extremely hot: Yum) man could so easily have had his life obliterated because she didn’t get her own way. And thought she could simply bully and threaten a POC into submission because she’s…white. Mr Cooper has gone far higher than she deserves.

    (A side query: is ‘birding’ exactly the same as ‘birdwatching’? Not a phrase we use in the UK.)

  36. Soupie says:

    Yes Andrew it’s a fairly recent replacement term. Birders going birding, not birdwatching as in decades past.

  37. holly hobby says:

    Such a lovely man. I’m sure he would do well hosting a nature series on PBS!

  38. frenchtoast says:

    Fact that he is good-looking also plays a part in why he’s so elevated by the media? If he was a hood-rat, people wouldn’t be like “he’s so lovely”, “he’s so charming”. You bet lol.

  39. L4frimaire says:

    Christian Cooper is a good guy and a gracious man. There are so many people like Amy Cooper, who absolutely refuse to be told to do anything by a person of color, especially a Black person. They’re the type who, in a benign setting, will completely ignore the suggestion of a colleague of color, but acknowledge or reward the same thing from a white person. You can’t tell her anything. In this case with Christian Cooper she could have leashed her dog, given him the finger and moved in. Instead she decided to get in his face and deploy the nuclear option immediately. Don’t feel sorry for her at all. She could have caused some serious damage and set off a dangerous spark in a city already under immense strain by this virus. Look at Minneapolis.

  40. Ani May says:

    He is such a beautiful, generous man that it actually brings tears to my eyes. I can’t imagine the fear of existing as a black man (or woman) in America. This can’t go on.

  41. Mina_Esq says:

    Yas! He is a well-spoken, Harvard educated, good looking gay New Yorker, who happens to enjoy bird watching. He is your classic hot nerd, and he needs to have a column, book or a TV show to complete the rom-com lead vibe that he gives off!

    As for the rest…he was going to give her dog a dog treat. The horror! 🙄 It all escalated way too quickly.