Letter: Suggested killing of geese is appalling

I was appalled and sickened as I read The Gazette's May 6 headline suggesting hunting and slaughtering our beloved Cedar Rapids geese ('Cedar Rapids sets its sights on geese”).

I am a daily walker in Ellis Park as well as along the Cedar River and around the golf course. I have yet to see a goose interfering with anyone's 'backswing” or a 'mad” goose chasing anyone who may have come close to a newly hatched gosling. Geese are wonderful, dedicated parents who mate for life. How bizarre!

Perhaps we could take some lessons from these beautiful creatures who seem to love people. I have observed mothers with infants strapped to their backs with two children in the stroller sitting on the riverbank, in awe, observing these graceful birds God has created. Messy, yes, every living being must defecate, but in my observations perhaps there are some areas that have been hit more than others. Can we not sidestep those areas? I have never, ever seen hundreds of geese in one area and am wondering how anyone came up with 2,000 in the Cedar Rapids area. A shotgun to shoot one of those innocent birds. Barbaric!

'Open Season” on God's creation? What's next, dogs and cats?

Margaret Kolash

Cedar Rapids