The leftist campaign to sever ties with the past in the name of equity and inclusion continues unabated, even in the sciences. The latest effort, undertaken by the American Ornithological Society, will ultimately see all species of birds in the United States and Canada renamed, purportedly to “address past wrongs and engage far more people.”
The AOS announced Wednesday that starting in 2024, it will begin changing the names of 70-80 birds currently named after people. Whether or not this initiative for the birds will fly with zoologists and the general public remains to be seen.
“There is power in a name, and some English bird names have associations with the past that continue to be exclusionary and harmful today. We need a much more inclusive and engaging scientific process that focuses attention on the unique features and beauty of the birds themselves,” said AOS president Colleen Handel, a biologist with the U.S. Geological Survey in Alaska.
“Everyone who loves and cares about birds should be able to enjoy and study them freely — and birds need our help now more than ever,” added Handel.
The AOS has dabbled in this practice of erasing history to cater to the sensitivities of contemporary ideologues for years. In 2020, the AOS renamed McCown’s Longspur the Thick-billed Longspur. This small prairie bird, also known as Rhynchophanes mccownii, was originally named after John P. McCown, an amateur avian collector who was a Confederate general.
WTF is wrong with these people?
The original names will still be used just as the Washington Redskins will never go away
Exactly- they can say whatever they want- they have no power over you.