Opinion | Christian Cooper and the Birds of New York


To the Editor:

Re “Birds Present Us What It Means to Be Free,” by Christian Cooper (Opinion visitor essay, Could 28):

I’m a Central Park birder who has recognized Christian Cooper for a few years. It’s heartwarming to know that out of one thing unhealthy — what he described because the “racially explosive” encounter with a white lady along with her canine in 2020 — got here one thing immensely good.

Amongst birders Chris is a cherished member of our neighborhood. He’s recognized for his information of birds, his capability not solely to identify birds but additionally to establish birdsong, in addition to his generosity in sharing this information with these of us much less gifted than he’s. How great that Chris is now in a position to share all this with a wider public.

Thanks in good half to Chris, the world of birding is not an all-white exercise. Stroll within the Ramble within the spring and also you’ll meet Black, Hispanic and Asian birders in addition to many younger birders.

Judith Schiller Rabi
New York

To the Editor:

Christian Cooper’s expertise of discovering neighborhood in Central Park highlights one of many enduring values of this iconic inexperienced area: New Yorkers from all backgrounds can discover respite and be collectively no matter race, gender or socioeconomic standing — the core ethos of the park.

At the moment, when extra folks than ever flock to Central Park, this worth will likely be examined as society modifications round us. The general public has the ability to assist defend this democratic area by following the principles that have been designed to make crowded areas work for all.

As Mr. Cooper factors out, leashing canines and retaining them out of delicate landscapes, like within the Ramble, cut back conflicts and permit everybody to benefit from the distinctive city area collectively.

Betsy Smith
New York
The author is the president and C.E.O. of the Central Park Conservancy, the nonprofit that maintains and manages Central Park.

To the Editor:

What a fantastically written essay by Christian Cooper. It captures the marvel, amazement and great thing about variety in nature of which we people are only a half.

I’m so glad that such a narrow-minded and doubtlessly harmful encounter in Central Park resulted in such a rewarding and optimistic technique of expression for him and one which we birders will take pleasure in following — in all our colours, pursuits and loves.

Beth Miller
Tallahassee, Fla.

To the Editor:

Re “U.S. Semiconductor Increase Faces Scarcity of Staff” (Enterprise, Could 22):

The U.S. semiconductor trade gained’t fill its gaping work power deficit with out ladies and other people of coloration, however we now have a protracted solution to go. Current research present that solely 15 % of engineers are ladies, and simply 5 % are Black.

To make issues worse, 40 % of girls who graduate with engineering levels are leaving the sector, in the event that they enter it in any respect. That is unhealthy math. If we don’t discover a solution to bridge gender and racial gaps in engineering, will probably be inconceivable to generate the 70,000-plus semiconductor staff we’ll must grow to be a worldwide trade participant.

We are able to’t discuss overcoming abilities gaps with out additionally speaking about the way to encourage extra traditionally marginalized teams to affix the semiconductor discipline.

Increased ed and trade have to return collectively to clarify that these jobs have vital societal affect, present hands-on experiences that signify belonging and create fascinating workplaces.

All these components are of normal significance to expertise recruitment and retention, and analysis reveals they’re significantly vital to ladies and those that are underrepresented within the discipline. The maths is kind of easy.

Sian Beilock
New York
The author is the departing president of Barnard and the president-elect of Dartmouth.

To the Editor:

“Justice Lengthy Denied, Ensured by Prosecutors,” by Lisa Belkin (Opinion visitor essay, Could 20), describes Texas and Florida prosecutors’ tragic unwillingness to rethink two harmless males’s convictions.

The Texas and Florida courts, together with the Division of Justice, deserve some blame for state prosecutors’ closed-mindedness.

On the American Bar Affiliation’s urging, 24 state courts have adopted guidelines recognizing prosecutors’ moral accountability to rectify the conviction of harmless folks. Which means after successful a conviction, prosecutors should inform the courtroom and the protection in the event that they study of serious new exculpatory proof. This may occasionally additionally imply reinvestigating after which supporting protection efforts to free demonstrably harmless inmates.

Sadly, many prosecutors oppose these commonsense moral guidelines. In a 2011 letter to Washington State’s Supreme Court docket, for example, the D.O.J. predicted that the principles would unleash a number of dire penalties, none of which occurred after the principles have been nonetheless adopted.

In Texas, Florida and round half the opposite states, owing largely to the D.O.J.’s opposition, prosecutors haven’t any moral obligation to right wrongful convictions.

It’s time for the D.O.J. to reverse its official place and for state courts to substantiate prosecutors’ moral obligation to confess and proper their errors.

Nora Freeman Engstrom
Bruce Inexperienced
Ms. Engstrom is a professor at Stanford Regulation Faculty, and Mr. Inexperienced is a professor at Fordham Regulation Faculty.

To the Editor:

Re “The Courts Ought to Be Extra Political, Not Much less,” by Jedediah Britton-Purdy (Opinion visitor essay, Could 21):

In a super world judges could be chosen and rule with out regard to politics. In actuality, as Professor Britton-Purdy argues, the judiciary is simply one other political department of presidency. Too typically, the collection of judges and the thrust of their choices mirror their political views.

Taking this as a given, Professor Britton-Purdy urges that democracy is finest protected if judicial candidates extra brazenly espouse their constitutional viewpoints and voters could make higher knowledgeable choices in choosing those that extra intently mirror well-liked constitutional beliefs.

Whereas Professor Britton-Purdy’s proposal has the enchantment of a sensible resolution, it factors in a harmful course. If judging is accepted as merely an alternate train of politics, the essential perception in a good and neutral system of justice will likely be fatally forgotten.

Higher to maintain alive the imaginative and prescient of courts as “boards of precept, knowledge and deliberation” that ship simply judgments freed from political fervor. Whereas which may be an elusive aim, our historic democratic precepts require its pursuit.

Gerald Harris
New York
The author is a retired New York Metropolis Prison Court docket choose.

To the Editor:

“Reparations Put Democrats in a Quandary” (entrance web page, Could 28) cites plenty of methods reparations will be carried out. However they’ve a significant downside: the distribution of huge quantities of presidency funds at one time. This, in fact, is inconceivable in observe.

As a substitute, why doesn’t the federal authorities present those that will be documented as descendants of enslaved folks reduction from paying federal taxes for his or her lifetimes? It might be even higher if states have been to do the identical, in addition to present reduction from property taxes.

Ideally, this may apply to the present technology of descendants and their youngsters.

Bernard S. Sharfman
Bethesda, Md.