Christian Cooper on "Better Living Through Birding" & Birdwatching as a Queer Black Man

[@edwardlwittlif]

I find it so charming that Cooper's recollection of the awful day he was threatened in the park begins with a vivid, detailed description of the bird he was hoping to see that morning in the shrubs. He's clearly a man animated & defined by his passion for nature and birding. I hope we can all find something we're so passionate about.

[@JDCosmos8]

Wow this was one of my favorite democracy now videos in a while. The genocide in Gaza was putting me in a dark place it’s definitely still important to be informed and fight to end it but to just get to hear about the joy of birdwatching was really refreshing

[@MrDandaman2000]

I’m a birder too and the endless onslaught of lies about genocide in Gaza and the glorification of Hamas is putting me in a dark place

[@pups4palestine]

@@MrDandaman2000 Offended by everything, ashamed of nothing.

[@MrDandaman2000]

@@pups4palestine we know what that means. You hate Jews.

[@MrDandaman2000]

@@pups4palestine you hate Jews, we know what that means

[@MrDandaman2000]

@@pups4palestine so you don’t like Jews?

[@era__made]

Christian Cooper is so wholesome and charming and deserves all the happiness in the world. An Earth Angel.

[@barbiejohnson3047]

Leaders. Leaders. This is the 21st century. Humanity has matured now beyond the brute beast mentality. What does “leader” mean? And what do leaders lead? Harmony or chaos? How many leaders are on this planet? How many humans are on this planet? Who leads who? And for what reason? Wake up brothers and sisters to the light of your own leader! The light of your own Spirit. Wake up brothers and sisters to the power of your Love. Your compassion. Pass it on… Namaste

[@barbiejohnson3047]

Humanity now needs Earth Angel leaders.

[@25lighters91]

Was this the guy who was harassed by the karen with the dog she was choking in central park ? He didnt deserve it and now seeing his personality and intellect he is brilliant

[@jenniferj1536]

Yes still cringe when I see her chocking the dog. Tells everything you need to know about her.

[@tuckerbugeater]

@@jenniferj1536 she voted for biden

[@rocketreindeer]

Yep! Same dude. There's a clip of her losing her sh** around halfway through. He seems like a very humane and moral guy.

[@bellamaz1972]

He’s delightful, and his enthusiasm for wildlife and nature is contagious:)

[@ReshonBryant]

🍿🐕‍🦺

[@philquota7405]

Love this. This is the best of activism, arts and sciences. So happy that Christian Cooper can make a living off his lifelong passion. This makes the best of 2024 so far.

[@netizencapet]

Christian Cooper has got to be one of my favorite people. Absolutely LOVED this interview. A gem in every dimension...from his heart touching response to his assailant to his fantastic description of birding as existential therapy.

[@YaldaZadah]

Thank You for bringing Christian on the show. What a wonderful, and kind man. Watching Amy's behavior again, really brought back some emotion. I didnt know Christian wrote his memoir and hosted a show. I will definitely be interested in those.

[@kevinwilliams1768]

excellent interview, Blessings to Christian Cooper . Congratulations & blessings on winning his Daytime Emmy

[@galeparker1067]

Delightful person! ♥️♥️♥️✌️🇨🇦

[@85jacob85]

What an elegant and gracious man.

[@elizabethtravelsaroundDAworld]

WHAT VIBRANT LIFE! THIS GIVES ME HOPE!! Thanks Chris Cooper! Thanks Mother NATURE! Thanks Migration as an Organic and Natural and Ancestral Rhythm we all living beings have!

[@user-dn7pu7ou6h]

What a gorgeous human being ♥️🥹

[@maribellelebre6809]

What a compassionate man!

[@chad4094]

This guy seems so cool! Thanks for having him on the show!

[@nancyanderson5310]

Democracy Now! I love you! You make my life full of space and grace and beautiful faces. You make me so proud to be part of the human race! This guy - Christian Cooper - is SANE! His conscience is 100% tuned into “make a difference, don’t make another matching set of hurt episodes”. You folks make me so very happy! I’m so glad you came into my life!!!!!

[@xxBreakxxAwayxx3]

Some ally you are, lurking in all the comments criticizing POC for "lacking context" and "not letting god do gods work" to change people on their deathbeds. Disgusting. "Sane" isnt the compliment you think it is. I urge you to rethink your complicity in silencing brown folks for being "divisive" or whatever you think it is when they share feedback. Clearly you arent triggered by this incident in particular, since you express joy and excitement too. But you obviously havent figured out that "both sides" is a rhetorical fallacy used by dominant ideologies to silence protest and dignity. There is no other side to racism, no "larger context" that makes it anything but racism doing exactly what its designed to do. Defending "nice people who had bad days" is the same as saying that white people are innately innocent as lomg as they feel bad at some point. You're willing to give every advantage to this nazi karen and let brown people keep dying/being threatened in the meantime.

[@SharonCarbine]

Christian Cooper is delightful! Thank you, Amy and Christian. Fantastic visit. Big smile!

[@elainejbaskin4255]

My trans granddaughter recently joined her community’s birding community. And she turned me on to Cornell’s Merlin bird I’d app!

[@elainejbaskin4255]

❤thanku Amy for hosting Christian Cooper. I really appreciate ur providing Cooper the time to share his perspective.

[@Magus__Quinn]

rare wholesome democracy now story

[@altheaepps501]

❤I LOVE YOUR DECISION❤

[@avocadomonkey4892]

Thank you, Amy, for giving a full half-hour to Christian Cooper! His joyful enthusiasm for birding is infectious, but he also raises a lot of sobering points, like how the loss of Adelphi penguins in 2 years is a dramatic indicator of rapid climate change. I also appreciated hearing the rest of the story about Amy Cooper, and how he followed his conscience when asked by Cyrus Vance to press charges against her. And it was such a treat to see you smiling during an interview, Amy! A wonderful interview!

[@shellyryan8506]

Christian Cooper is one dynamic man, a great speaker too. This is a delightful and informative interview, and I will definitely buy his new book.

[@kasardevi8]

Great Programme, thank you , enjoyed it a lot

[@vicf2520]

What an Inspiration you are! Thank you, thank you Christian. You rock!

[@robbob1866]

FYI Amy Cooper still claims she is the victim and shows absolutely no remorse or contrition. She blames everyone else for her own actions. A true karen, through and through. I believe in cancel culture when people like her don't repent. Christian Cooper on the other hand seems like the loveliest, kindest and smartest person you'd ever want to meet. I now need to watch his show. His success must drive her nuts lol

[@nancyanderson5310]

Hey, what’s the time limit on change? I had two family members try regularly to kill me, one beginning when I was three. In addition, a child molester. Two of these saw the light in their death beds. Let God do the God thing. No one will change if there is no road to recovery. Be glad you haven’t revealed a fatal flaw. Yet.

[@laurafay2796]

I thought I had read that she was remorseful. But I guess not? Christian Cooper never mentioned it. If that is the case It is unfortunate he chose not to help them prosecute her. Did she ever get prosecuted?

[@kasardevi8]

What a rare , refined human being

[@chrisohlsen8078]

Well Done Mr. Cooper. Many blessings to you. Great strength, vision, and patience.

[@smkandmrr]

My favorite interview this outlet has ever produced! Thank you! ❤️

[@Dingo-wc7my]

Agree wholeheartedly with Mr Cooper; during our ltd time here, use it carefully & try not to waste your time 🤙

[@taahirahchothia6036]

Love this bird mans passion, heart and bird sounds. Hope he has a podcast soon.

[@joniskibo5910]

AweSome ❤ News👍 .

[@anxiouscucumber9]

Omg that poor dog 😢 i still get so sad watching that old video, not only that people like that still exist who treat POC that way, but who also treat their poor pets like that.. just yuck. So glad this wonderful man came out of the whole mess unscathed and is still doing so much for conservation ❤

[@yogi4lyfe]

Thank you !

[@ChooseCompassion]

This was an absolutely wonderful segment. Christian Cooper is beyond delightful. Of course I remember that altercation in Central Park when it happened. I remember her insane overreaction and felt like she was literally choking her dog to death and how sorry I felt for that dog. I love birds for the same reason he does. And I never know about his show, but I will be starting to watch it this evening after the insane Netanyahu visit. It will be an extra special treat because like him birds take me out of the moment. I live in a city with very little nature to escape to, except for a beach, but have been feeding the birds on my balcony for decades. They bring me and my three rescue cats great joy. I have no doubt they will enjoy this show as much as. Thank you for hosting this extraordinary human being who I wish was one of my personal friends. This was such a departure from the usual topics that are so unsettling and disturbing. Thank you for introducing me to this fabulous individual.

[@gavin8tor]

Great Reporting. Loving what you do. 🌻

[@radioactivewifi]

Why?

[@selalewis9189]

Thank you having Chris on Democracy Now! Like many people ai first learned of Chris as a faceless victim of white terror. I didn’t know much about him until I saw the NatGeo show he hosted. Through that, I learned so much about birding and city ecology to protect birds. Everyone can and should care about bird preservation. And it was once again a reminder that no person who is a victim should be defined just by what happened to them, but who they are in totality. Chris Cooper has and will always be a brilliant, passionate person and that should be celebrated.

[@nancymathisen9707]

Inspiring interview, and human being.

[@oculttheexegaming2509]

As a queer autistic girl, birding is one of my favorite hobbies. Back in March, I had the chance to do some quality birding after getting surgery for appendicitis because it was one of the few outdoorsy activities I could do without having to worry about accidentally tearing my stitches. In particular, I enjoyed witnessing a tag team effort of two moorhens to keep a coot at bay (generally, I noticed that coots react very nastily to any moorhens in their vicinity) and how they seemed to be taunting the coot who was trying to harass them. Similarly, I loved watching coots feeding their chicks and a comical chase between a coot, two ducks and a Canadian goose.

[@heathercole6750]

Freaking awesome episode. Thank you for bringing this into the mix. It’s so nice to have something good instead of war all the time. Thank you so much for this beautiful story. Excellent excellent reporting

[@meganshadley7308]

What a cool guy!! I love what he has created out of the terrible situation that introduced him to the world.

[@barbiejohnson3047]

Rise Humanity rise. Rise up from all of the lies. Rise up to clarity, let go of old ideology. Humanity is one big family! What injures you injures me. It is time that we become free, and trust our own guide from within and begin; to heal Humanity as a whole, joining each other soul to soul. Namaste.

[@nancyanderson5310]

Let it rise! Let it rise! Let it rise! ONWARD!

[@Beijaxol]

This brother is the definition of a good person 🕊️🌈💖

[@alvinfrazier4152]

That's the dude who dealt with the Karen at Central Park, right?

[@charliedibe6180]

I like this guy!

[@artimidz3451]

Birding is an incredibly affirming & inspiring hobby for nature lovers!💓 You can do it anywhere and do not need binoculars per se, especially if you also use your ears. That said, your local public library today lends out musical instruments and also bird watching kits including guidebooks and binoculars. Treat yourselves to the wonder of your local birds this summer! 😎 🐦

[@ChristianGoergen]

Without having read the book written by Cooper: if we all watch birds for 4 to 8 hours a day, the misery in us and around us will come to an end. Soon and forever. Audubon‘s book is on my shelf.

[@rohanxdavis]

Awesome

[@WoolyTresses]

She knew she was being recorded but, didn't care. Lied anyway

[@terrancekayton007]

She looked like she was choking her poor dog 🥺

[@nancyanderson5310]

Clearly was not in control. Without knowing her story, leave it alone. Context is everything.

[@xxBreakxxAwayxx3]

context is that Christian was looking for birds and was interrupted by her dog acting out of control (off leash tearing through bushes). Christian asked her to follow park rules and leash her dog when she started threatening him. Christian began filming her and she began to call the cops. She refused to use her leash (she was gripping the collar instead), Christian believed her goal was to racislly intimidate him into leaving so that she could continue to break the park rules. Eventually, she actually uses her leash so Christian thanks her & stops filming and goes back to birding. He doesnt see any cops but his sister posted the video and twitter and it went viral because this happened on the same day George Floyd died. People were able to see the connection between crocodile tears and the weaponization of racist police. The context is just as racist and shitty as you might expect. Christian was asked by the attorney general to press charges but he felt that his time was better spent changing policy not people. The attorney general could have pursued anyway but she already lost her job and went viral so i think they left her alone

[@nancyanderson5310]

@@xxBreakxxAwayxx3 context is far far greater than the details of the encounter, the sequence of the events, even the outcome of the conflict. People are complex and history has its place in our actions. Life on earth now is unprecedented and WE must keep our eyes on LIFE. Mercy must have its place or we prove we are merely brainy naked apes, incapable of forgiving and healing evil.

[@ReshonBryant]

👉🏽🐻

[@lisarose5685]

Well done Christian Thank you 🙏

[@dopaminey9946]

At university i found a lot of Amy Coopers. Most came from background whose parents were managers and administrators - as they let us know. Those were deep Karens.

[@nodice8312]

Such a great interview..thank you , Dem now! and... THANK YOU CHRISTION COOPER FOR BEING YOU

[@raymonddon8875]

sounds about right....

[@acebaker3623]

What an informative guest. Thank you for having him.

[@KrakatoaPraetor]

He has a beautiful mind. I'm just getting into birding, and watching Extraordinary Birder, and his enthusiasm is contagious.

[@judithpierre3925]

Thank you for your enthusiasm for nature, compassion and humanity Christian. I LOVE the sound of birds chirping. I love learning about birds in my neighborhood. Hoping I run into my bird watching neighbor again sometime soon. I will read your book AND try to watch your bird series on KZbin. I wish you continued great health and success.🫶🏾🫶🏿✌🏿💥

[@elkwhistle141]

Congratulations Christian Cooper I loved the interview!

[@elainejbaskin4255]

I love this guy! I didn’t know Audubon was a slaveholder. Bird Alliance is a great new name. Will Mass Audubon consider a name change?

[@CremeBrulee543]

🐦 ❤

[@chinampina5]

I love this!! What an amazing man.

[@haircole]

Best program in weeks Engaging entertaining information sharing.

[@Symphonia16]

Wow! This interview covered everything!

[@Funsizeskatezgir123]

🎊 congratulations!

[@stephen_pfrimmer]

Thank you Christian Cooper. Thank you Amy and Nermeen. Please consider OLIGARCH Act.

[@eblaisedepaolo9290]

This gentleman is so inspiring, great show!

[@greendesertgoddess]

He is being lauded for what he didn't do, but should have . . .

[@nancyanderson5310]

He is being given a chance to reveal that not everyone wants all the revenge the law allows - and more, if the society likes to kill all the folk that make really bad decisions. Thank God for a man brave enough to film his hater, and then brave enough to back off and let his hater find a second chance to get it right. Peace in earth will come no other way.

[@ReshonBryant]

He specifically said very very white activity tho🤣

[@colleenlally-ross7105]

Love this man!!

[@christinebutler2730]

I love the passion about birding as he explains listening and looking and focusing energy . Freedom of the bird. When I was young there was a plethora of species and qualities of birds moths and butterflies. Unfortunately I do not see that diversity or numbers today . Thank you for this wonderful show .

[@gwendolynscott9509]

Great job

[@Anonymous-pc3qk]

One second of this man talking, and you know he is a kind person. How could that lady have gone through with calling the police on this man.

[@lmaoashley]

This is so sweet 🥹

[@faffrin5216]

What a great interview with a wonderful man ❤

[@Airbag15]

Props to this gentleman

[@warrenpaine]

I can understand why there is resistance to changing the name. "The Audubon Society" sounds so much classier than the "New York City Bird Alliance".

[@emilianogama569]

Is it wrong to note how hot this guy is?

[@mattvond3814]

this man is a paragon and an exemplar

[@ReshonBryant]

Seriously. She was like he's threatening my life🌝

[@laurieanne3763]

Wow, just found this video. Thank you for it.

[@kilamoblack7532]

If we were to use this logic for every facet of society, we would have to CANCEL almost every figure in history.

[@claudiamason.]

👏👏👏👏👏

[@abwab-g8n]

I had no idea about the decline in bird populations! I think he could be really influential in teaching people about this

[@mathewwright4129]

Great interview!

[@SuperHyperExtra]

«Birdwatching as a queer black man»... VERY different than birdwarwatching as a white hetero man... VERY... ;-)

[@dinkster1729]

You're joking, right?

[@nancyanderson5310]

“What then is man? … a being who continuously decides what he is: a being who equally harbors the potential to descend to the level of an animal or to ascend to the life of a saint … melted down to essentials …” Viktor Frankl, 1967 Psychoanalysis and Existentialism Page 112

[@sambaxrock]

Amazing man of so many facets and great bravery. It's depressing that how he is know more for the ugly racist side of our society than his amazing accomplishments.

[@elizabethdesmet89]

Love this story

[@neillewi9576]

Red Wing Black Bird is a favorite of mine too.

[@jujutrini8412]

He seems like such a sweet guy.

[@omegahaddad833]

Bravo, Christian ! You did the right thing - all these false accusations by nutty people -

[@vickyabramowitz2885]

Someone once told me that Audubon killed his bird subjects so they wouldn't be moving around while he was painting them. I've never found any corroborating evidence for this. Anybody?

[@VassilkaMorrison-pd7ip]

Believe this is true.

[@jenniferj1536]

Oh wow horrible

[@nancyanderson5310]

All dead birds. I can feel the horror. Since I learned this, i can’t look at the pictures. The price is too high.

[@dinkster1729]

Like that anatomy book which was commissioned by the Nazis--the subjects were dead there, too.

[@catherinejames2734]

Shit, that horrible woman is just about strangling her poor dog. She shouldn’t even have a dog treating it like that.

[@Clarence_13x]

Everybody is talking about bird watching, birdwatching, etc. None of these lazy, avoidant, feckless people don’t have the decency to our youth to fly a bat; or to FLY A BIRD. I bet y’all don’t even know how, it’s time to damn learn.

[@dianecorbin8886]

Would love to meet him😊

[@sourcetext]

Human Beings have become so obsessed ( possessed) with their self created psychological Ego that any conversation with them about Reality turns into a war to the death. Understanding that Humans have become so neurotic you can't tell them to "obey" ( as a demand) the laws we all created....you should or can ask them questions like : Ma'm why don't you put your dog(s) on a leash so he ( the dog) doesn't accidentally go after one of our beautiful fellow birds and hurt it by mistake. You have to talk to people like you're talking to a "ten year old unstable spoiled Bratt"that will throw a temper tantrum ( people in high ranked positions act the same way ) , sincerely and with respect. ❤ P.S. the Psychological personality or Individual Ego is like the "INTRUDER" or evil Spirit( thing) that possesses the "original" good Spirit inside of each of us. Plotinus ( the ancient Greek wise man)❤ Meditation is an ancient form of Exorcism ....

[@sunniharley1745]

It was common place for Slave Masters to take credit for their slave’s inventions and art because they considered themselves to have owner privilege. I would not be surprised if John Audubon stole his slaves art and presented it as his own. Wikipedia- John Audubon (born Jean-Jacques Rabin, 4/26/1785 - 1/27/1851) was a French-American self-trained artist, naturalist, and ornithologist. His combined interests in art and ornithology turned into a plan to make a complete pictorial record of all the bird species of North America.

[@grzegorzgreg09]

Cool guy!👍 ❤🐧🦜🐦🦢🦉🏳️‍🌈❤

[@moonbay2399]

John James Audubon was the son of a French planter and a black Creole chambermaid, which makes him mixed-race. I don't understand why he isn't considered a person of color. I've noticed that people of mixed race aren't always counted as black. So, are we making a distinction between black people and mixed black people now? It's a new phenomenon, and I'm curious about what determines who is considered black and who is not, especially as a mixed-race person myself.

[@dinkster1729]

He was successful and privileged so, of course, he can't be considered to be a true Black person. Maybe, Christian Cooper doesn't care about Audobon's DNA. Just the fact that he owned Black slaves is enough to get him cancelled by modern day birders who think they are progressive.

[@ellenlandowski1659]

The young generation needs to speak up to preserve wild areas to get them zoned as wild area to keep them out of Real Estate listinhe.

[@Nine-Signs]

Dear Mr Cooper, if by some miracle you saw this, and anyone else interested. We have lost across this earth, according to latest ecological science, 70% of all animal species on the surface in just the 70yr lifetime of my still living mother. Not through climate change though it has played a part, but through a different symptom, ecological collapse due to massive over consumption of raw resources. We have encroached upon this world sir, far beyond any ability for complex life to be sustained at the scales they were at when my mother was born. A solar panel, a wind turbine, won't fix that. Indeed it only makes matters worse. We have two major civilisation ending symptoms underway, not one. A) Ecological collapse from massive over consumption of raw resources to enable production for profit, doubling in consumption every 33yrs since capitalism's industrialisation post 1750 in order to maintain a 3% avg global GDP growth rate as too long under that and return on investments misses expectations, market sentiment sours, and recessions or worse do come. Capitalism demands a doubling in consumptions of energy and materials every 33yrs, or else the system will collapse. The ecological red line beyond which permanent ecological damage would result has been known for decades, we can take a maximum of 50 billion tons a year of materials from the surface, we blew past that red line by 1990 and today take 90 billion tons a year with capitalism demanding we take 150 billion tons a year by 2050. B) Climatological shifting to ever greater extremes as a direct result of ever increasing emissions from the ever growing piles of raw resources taken and produced into ever increasing goods and services in order to realise capitalism's demand for perpetual growth of profits in complete bloody defiance of the immutable physics governing a finite world. The climatological red line for Co2ppm levels beyond which the climate must alter to ever more extreme states according to the immutable laws of thermodynamics is 350ppm. We blew past that by 1998 and today are at 425ppm. Factor in the effects of other greenhouse gasses and it is an effective rate closer to 500ppm. Due to this additional carbon and other energy trapping gasses this planets energy equilibrium has been destroyed and is now gaining an energy equivalent of a 30 megaton nukes worth of energy... every 5 minutes... doubling in intensity every circa 33yrs, which has already forced the climate to a state not seen in at least 3 million years which is pre human, meaning this is not the version of earth you nor I was born on, that version has been deleted and we regressed to a climactic state earlier in the earths history to which we have no experience and little information as to its extremes as you can see from the circa 1 billion animals that were incinerated in Australia to the circa 1 billion sea creatures that boiled in the seas off the coast of Canada to Siberia being ablaze, to vast parts of nations including the USA being rendered uninhabitable without artificial means for long periods due to excessive heat, and much more all in the last few years, all accelerating with frequency and severity ever faster year over year as it is an exponential, not a linear trend. The problem my friend, is top down anti democratic globalised capitalism, and unless that ends, most complex life on the surface will be extinct within a century, including a billion or so humans, with the rest not far behind over the next century after that. If by 2030 nothing has changed on this earth systemically, then nothing we do, no technology, no magical engineering, will be able to allow capitalism to continue to outrun the immutable laws of physics on a finite enclosed world. Our bill is coming due, no matter what a leader or tree hugger may say to the contrary, it's all already in progress.

[@Psteinz]

Mr. Cooper should have given her...the bird...

[@mohdnayeem38]

Indian Author Arundhati Roy has been arrested over a 14-year-old speech you interviewed him about. You should speak on this