It Is Our Government That Needs Watching, Not The Ducks

One was certainly going to die.  A bald eagle had managed to separate four small ducklings from the flock that was grouped tightly together several yards away and was repeatedly diving to snatch one out of the water. I understood the whole event immediately, a gift of being human, and I also knew I could stop it.  I ran toward the river yelling at the eagle to “GIT” clapping my hands a waving.  I had everyone’s attention,  the flock began to move further away, the ducklings stopped paddling and looked toward me and the eagle halted its diving to fly just above them and see if there was a threat.  It supposed me to be and flew up and was lost in the riverside forest.  The ducklings immediately rushed half walking on water, half flying to rejoin their flock and the flock disappeared around the bend of the river.  I walked back toward the house knowing I had not won, the battle yes, but not the war.  The eagle was certainly still watching, the flock was still in the river, and the ducklings were still vulnerable.  I knew in all probability the eagle would eventually have one.   But not on my watch!  

It occurs to me this morning this is a basic tenant of America, watchman, the problem is now half of us think the other half needs watching.  Oh, what a paranoid group of people we have become, sitting in our home, curtains cracked, binoculars out, watching our neighbor hoping we can catch them messing up so we can tattle.  A watchman is there to save the neighbor from an enemy, not save the watchman from his neighbor.  The ducklings were not the enemy needing watched, the eagle was.  

The flock under my watchcare.