LETTER OF THE WEEK

Our beloved birds have been shamefully murdered, once again (“Birds

found dead in TeWinkle Park,” May 2). A phone call early Sunday morning

from my fellow bird-loving friend alerted me that two geese and a few

ducks had been found dead in Tewinkle Park, Costa Mesa.

Panic sets in, how can this be? I am outraged that such a senseless

act of animal abuse and murder can take place in such a beautiful and

peaceful park.

It was only three years ago that someone shot the birds with a pellet

gun. Our fine feathered friends gunned down leaving a dozen or so ducks

dead, several geese severely injured, including Juliet and Leo. Our

beloved Honey Bunny was killed. Leo had 22 pellets removed, was saved and

set free again only to be found dead this last Sunday along with Bozie

who left behind a mate.

These flightless geese have tried to live peacefully in the nature

that is TeWinkle Park for as long as I can remember. There are a handful

of us who come to the park on a regular basis, some two and three times a

day spending our own money on feed to supplement their meager food

sources. We have come to love and cherish these geese, they are like

friends, they all have names, just like you and me. There’s Ozzie and

Harriet, Mr. and Mrs. Peepers, Chester, Romeo, Joey, Gabby, Lucy and

Ricky and more.

The park is there for all of us to enjoy. These fine geese, if left

alone, are essentially harmless. Many times I have been witness to

invasive and blatant attacks on these peace-loving birds, often while

they are dozing in the midday sun, or grazing on the grass. Children and

adults chase them with sticks and throw all kinds of thins at them, often

taunting and mercilessly teasing them. I truly fear what goes on when I

am not there. Not one of the geese can fly. All were dumped off here by

people who were either unwilling or unable to care for the birds once

they grew up out of their small cuteness.

This time the shootings were not with a pellet gun but with a much

higher caliber weapon. Who would perform such an act of senseless

violence and why?

I plead with the public to please educate themselves and their

children, and to be kind to the birds and all living beings. Love and

respect them. God put them here for us to appreciate their beauty. They

have as much of a right to be here as we do.

I was so very saddened when later in the day I went back to the park,

after spending the morning there with my bird-loving friends consoling

each other, Chester, a pure white goose, Bozie’s mate, was calling out

for him. He frantically was swimming about the lake and calling out for

his dearly departed friend. The tears welled up in my eyes. It is a sorry

and sick person who did this.

My only consolation is that I believe in the laws of Karma: what goes

around comes around. Whoever committed this act did not honor life nor

light nor love. Their Karma will get them when they least expect it.

CHRISTINA FAY

Costa Mesa