A Better Set of Lenses

Let me tell you a story about Christian Cooper and Amy Cooper.

They are not “The Coopers”, in fact they are unrelated in a host of different ways but they share a surname and a recent incident in Central Park in New York City.

Christian is out birdwatching. He has a bicycle helmet attached to his belt and he looks like he regularly works out. He has a neat pair of steel rimmed spectacles and he peers into the foliage of the protected area of this iconic park known as The Ramble. Christian is searching for a checklist of the 230 species of birds found in this haven amidst the hustle. The Ramble is thirty-eight acres of a ‘wild garden’ and was set aside as early as 1857 in the Greensward plan as a refuge away from carriage drivers. (Wikipedia). For over One hundred and sixty years people have wandered and wondered through this natural area without any irritation from traffic – cyclists included, which is a real blessing in a bustling city. It is a peaceful place and it openly and freely invites peaceful people. Apart from the other rules and regulations which govern this cosmopolitan playground, The Ramble only has one other request. Dogs to be leashed at all times in The Ramble. Fair enough I would think, it is after all a nature reserve.

Enter Amy Cooper. With her dog. And no leash.

Christian lowers his Swarovski binoculars, the brand being an important part of my reflection in this case, and politely asks Amy to put her Dog on leash. She says the other runs are closed and the dog needs his exercise. He suggests some other areas. She says they are too dangerous. He repeats the law and points her to the obvious signage around the park. She gets a bit more heated, he starts to video her reaction, and then she loses the plot completely.

In a dramatic ninety second display of desperation, Amy is on the line to 911. Her life and the life of the dog is being threatened by a man in Central Park. Christian stands his ground and continues to video with the steady hand of a birdwatcher. Amy’s dog tries to stand his ground too, but most of his legs are airborne as she holds him by his collar in her theatrics which are worthy of a show on nearby Broadway. It is only the actions of the owner which are threatening the life of the dog in a brutal choke hold, one which would become famously banned due to the ramifications of an incident on the same day in Minnesota. 25th May 2020, George Floyd.

The case of the Central Park “Karen”, a wonderful acronym which I will write up as a P.S., was ‘unleashed’ and nurtured by social media where it will fuel the fires and fan the flames of demanding debate for years to come. Amy Cooper’s amateur audition and moment of madness designed as a drama, ends as comedic in the viewing. It is almost laughable.

Except that it isn’t.

Christian is black. Amy is White.

Maybe all the superiority she exhibited in that random meeting in The Ramble is depicted in that short sentence.

lowercase black. Uppercase White.

I wonder if she had just stopped long enough to greet this man whether she might still have her job. I wonder if she had just apologized and put the lead on her dog whether she wouldn’t have a case against her for issuing a false report. I wonder if she had just noticed for a second, his magnificent set of Swarovski binoculars, whether she might have taken a look through a truly superior set of lenses. But perhaps that is a step too far for a non-birder?

If I am to change my behavior, I have to look through different lenses. I need to see that the world is not always unfriendly when someone of colour approaches me for anything, let alone to obey the law. I need to see that there is more than one way of seeing, and that there is no way to solve the polarity between equality and superiority other than by embracing the higher order of uniqueness. I need to know that we are infinitely connected, and that defaulting to calling the police or just writing more policy will only keep us more separate and disconnected.

Change needs new pictures. If I only see one road, I only have one destination, and with only one map, I am robbed of the very thing which makes me Human. Choice. How do I choose a different response if I consult a single script?

If we could look through the unique lenses we each carry, we might be swept up in the excitement of the sighting of a Red-tailed Hawk in The Ramble.

We might see a far clearer picture, not because of the Swarovski lenses, but through the aperture of Humanity. I will see my own inner ‘Karen’, not through more expensive equipment and increasing legislation, but through the eyes of others, and then at the very least being able to choose the better set of lenses.

I hope that I meet Christian Cooper, and that when I do, we will not be Black or White.

We will simply be Birdwatchers.

With lots to teach and maybe a whole host more to learn? And isn’t that exciting? For what we teach, we probably know already, but what we learn is up to that moment, as yet undiscovered.

Christian, please come birdwatching in South Africa…

… and don’t forget to bring your binoculars!

Steve Hall

P.S. An Acronym for KAREN

K Know your rights

A Accuse everyone

R Request a manager

E Escalate to Authority

N Neglect reason

With these as your only set of pictures, it may explain why we end up losing our job, our dog and our minds?

I wonder if we could be a different “KAREN” ??

K Know your neighbor

A Appreciate everyone

R Respect opinion

E Embrace uniqueness

N Never stop learning

It might result in a better world?