DUCK HEROES
Point-CounterPoint
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Meeting the Opposition...
When
presenting your proposal, it's important to distinguish between the two
types of questions you are
likely to face: "sincere" questions
and "attack" questions. In my efforts here in The Woodlands, I'm happy
to
report that I only received
"sincere" questions!
1) A sincere question is designed to clarify a point or gather more information
from you.
The officials may not have prior experience with this issue and welcome your information. Such questions
are non-threatening and actually helpful to your presentation because they often make the perfect introduction
to your next topic of discussion.
2) An attack question is designed to discredit, discourage or fluster you in your effort.
It is important to remain calm if you feel that you are under attack. The officials may mistakenly
think that your proposal is a criticism of them for not having already addressed this issue and they may react in
a defensive manner by criticizing you. Remember, as I mentioned earlier, "Be nice!" and make it clear that
you are helping them solve a problem; you've done all the research for them and have a proposed solution in hand.
Common Arguments
Against a Duck Sign
While preparing for my presentation, I hoped my audience would be receptive (...and as it turns out, they
were!), but since I had never done anything like this before, I had to be prepared for anything! I tried to anticipate any (...and every!)
possible argument that could be thrown at me and I'd like to give
you a "heads up!" on some of these
issues...most of which I found on internet blogs concerning ducks and
traffic. I was surprised at some of the viewpoints I found...
Below, each
"possible argument" is paired with a "ready response", which you will
have to
modify to fit your actual
circumstances. I know I can't predict every challenge to your proposal,
but here are a few
that you might encounter.
The Idea That "Ducks Don't Matter" (Hazard?...What hazard?) Argument: Of course, you know, we do have "Deer Crossing" signs in the county. Do you know what that can do to your vehicle if you hit one of those?!! A collision with a deer can kill you! Hitting a duck is no big deal; it's not like it's going to total your car, so it doesn't really warrant putting up a sign. Ducks are not really a hazard. Response: While it is
true that hitting a duck will probably not total your car, the potential damage to a vehicle or loss of human
life is not caused by the impact of the duck; it's caused by the impact of another
vehicle when its driver is surprised and suddenly stops or swerves to avoid it. Unexpected objects in the road, be they animate or inanimate, always
pose a hazard to traffic. Posting a duck
sign to warn motorists of the
potential danger will reduce the "surprise" factor of encountering a
duck while driving.
No one likes being surprised by an
unexpected object in the road.
The Cost!
Argument: Our entire
budget is already allocated to all kinds of BIG projects for the
county/city/town. We've
got a major interstate going
through, the courthouse renovation, blah, blah, blah...we cannot fund another
project!...not even a silly duck sign!
Response: Yes, I'm well aware of how busy you
are
overseeing all those major projects
for the county and that's why I've already done the research on
this issue for you!
Cost is not going to be a problem for the county/city/town because we
plan to pay for the signs by fund
raising within the community. It's
an excellent way to educate the local residents and studies have shown
that when
a community has a vested interest in
a project (READ: They work to make it happen themselves...) it has a
greater
chance of success. There's more
"buy in" and a "sense of ownership" by the community. Present
successful
examples of fund raising from the "Buck$for Duck$"
page and cite our success in The Woodlands. After your fund raising examples, conclude your response with this critical statement:
"We're not asking for any money,
we're just asking for your support and endorsement to authorize the sign!"
The Project Will Become a Burden
Argument: If we put up one duck sign at this lake, EVERY lake in the county is going to want one!
Response:
Again, remind them that the signs will by paid for by
community fund raising and will not
come out of their budget. Also, point out that since each lake is
different, each needs to be individually
evaluated for its own particular risk factors. (i.e. At some lakes in The Woodlands, the nearby roads have such steep embankments and shoulders they present enough of a physical barrier to ducks and they're never in the road.)
The bottom line, though, is that
it's a safety issue not just for the ducks, but also for traffic,
too. Since
lakes & ponds are recreational
areas, people enjoying them will also enjoy a greater measure of safety
as motorist who
are watching out for ducks will also
be watching out for pedestrians; everyone is safer! Local
residents will
see the officials as
improving safety for the entire community and that's a good thing...especially
if it's an election year!
Cars as "Natural Selection"
Argument: Aren't there too many ducks at that lake, anyway? Don't the cars help keep their numbers down?
Response: (Take a deep breath...) Mowing
down ducks with
cars is not a solution to an
over-population problem. The way to keep duck populations down, is to stop feeding them. Ducks
already have many natural predators
that keep them "in balance" with nature; in the lake alone, turtles are
one of the
biggest threats to ducklings. On
dry land, there are coyotes, cats, hawks, etc. that prey on
ducks. If there is an over-population of ducks, it is usually caused by human intervention in the form of over-feeding. One way to
stop the feeding is to either post more signs prohibiting it and/or assessing fines to people who continue
to feed the ducks.
Who are YOU to be requesting a duck sign?
Argument: You are making all these statements about the safety of the local duck population; are you an official "wildlife
biologist" or "forest ranger"? What qualifies you to make all these claims?
Response:
If you are neither of the above and they are questioning
your credentials, cheerfully say: While I am
not a "wildlife biologist" or "forest ranger", I AM a resident of this
community and
that alone qualifies me to bring
issues of concern before you and also, requires me to propose a
solution. I,
too, have a responsibility to "take
care of things" and speak up when I feel we have a problem that needs to
be solved.
That's why I've already done a lot
of research on this topic and am bringing you a proposed solution.
NOTE: If you have gathered lots of
information off the internet (pictures, news articles, etc.) put these
in a binder
and bring it with you. When you
mention your research, hold up the binder to show the officials. On the
cover,
have an image of a duck sign to make
it look like an "official document" or "reference book".
Not The "Duck Problem" Again...?!!
Argument: We've heard about this issue before and we can't do anything about it...
Response:
If you can, find out why it didn't get approved.
Was the problem budget
money?...you're not asking for any of their budget. Has there been a
lot of recent development
in the area...more houses, more
roads, more traffic? Make the point that "back then" there were
probably fewer
vehicles on the road and perhaps life in the
community moved at a slower pace. Recent development and future
development
are all going to add to the traffic
volume on local roads. Draw a sharp distinction between previous attempts to solve (or not solve?) this problem and your willingness now to present a proposed solution.
This is a great
opportunity for them to be "proactive" and implement a preventative
measure to ensure safety
rather than being "reactive":
waiting until there's an awful traffic incident because nobody was
expecting ducks to
be in the road. Think about it; this city council/official meeting is a matter of public record and you've
come before them presenting a solution to a known and recurring hazard
in your community. If they fail to
take this opportunity to address it,
and someone is later injured or killed in an accident because of
duck-traffic...it could
come back to haunt them most
certainly, in public opinion and quite possibly, in the form of a
lawsuit. They can put
a sign up and have your fund raising pay for it now, or not
put a sign up...and really pay for it later! It's their choice...
They're Not Taking You Seriously
Argument: You want a "Duck Sign"?!! What next, a Raccoon or Squirrel Sign?!!! (This is an attack question designed to ridicule you; remain calm and when the laughter subsides, carry
on with your response.)
Response: That's a very funny question, but I assure you, we will
not be requesting a warning sign for raccoons or squirrels because there is a BIG difference between those kinds
of animals and ducks. Raccoons and squirrels are very fast and their occurrence absolutely
unpredictable! Since they can appear at any place and any time, how could we possibly know where
to post a warning sign? All you can
do is hope to be able to avoid them when they zip out into the
road...but,
it's not always possible because of
their speed and the surprise factor they create.
Ducks, on the other hand are EASY to avoid; by comparison, they move VERY slowly and
their occurrence is VERY predictable: only near our lakes and ponds. If
a motorist has
advance warning from a sign at a
known "duck-traffic" spot, that eliminates the "surprise factor" and
sudden stops or swerves,
making traffic safer for everyone on
the road.
Aside from the "traffic hazard" aspect of this issue, remember, our community claims to be "nature loving" and
"environmentally responsible". (Here is where you gently remind
them of any official statements from
your town charter, website, local
speeches by officials, their attendance at Earth Day Festivals, etc.)
What does it
say about our community if we "talk
the talk", but don't "walk the walk"? Residents here, do love
nature and want to be environmentally responsible; putting up duck signs will help them live up to these ideals.
It's a very simple and reasonable attempt to safeguard the ducks...and traffic, too!
Note:
Here is where you present a list of signatures from other members of the
community supporting
your proposal. This can easily be
obtained from neighborhoods surrounding the pond/lake, members of your
House of Worship,
your school, etc. This is not an
"official petition", but more a "show of support"...that other members
of the community
want the duck sign, too. You don't
have to have 100's of signatures (I only had 30...); tell the
officials, that
you just started soliciting
signatures and what you have so far is just the "tip of the
iceberg"...and that you'll be happy
to get more if they need them!
They Don't "Get" the Concept
Argument: No one is going to stop for a silly duck!
Response: You will have in your possession, a
copy of the children's book, "Make Way for Ducklings", by Robert
McCloskey. The officials may suddenly remember
this book from their own childhood.
You can tape your notes on the back of the book and hold it up as you
say:
The concept of traffic slowing down or stopping to accommodate ducks crossing is NOT
new. The
award winning children's book, "Make
Way for Ducklings!", written in 1941, tells the story of how Boston's
downtown traffic
stopped to allow a family of ducks
to make their way back to Boston's Public Garden.
More than 60 years ago, this concept of "traffic stopping to accommodate ducks"
was introduced. Really! With all the increased awareness of the environment, it would be absolutely shameful
to think our community is more than 60 years behind the times in this area! Surely, we can follow this humane
example.
Hold
up the book, open to pages 41-42, (mark the page with a Post-It) which
shows a picture of Officer Michael
stopping traffic to allow Mrs.
Mallard and her 8 ducklings to cross. As you show them the picture,
say: "We're
not asking to have a policeman
stationed at the lake 24/7; we are just requesting approval to have
duck signs posted."
They may ask if the story is true (All we know is that the author was
inspired by
the real ducks at Boston's Public
Garden...) But true or not, the real value of the book is in the concept
it introduced: stopping traffic to accommodate ducks crossing.
The idea that civilization has the
power to pause to accommodate
nature, is timeless! It was an important concept 60 years ago, and
it's even
more relevant today.
If
you want to read a TRUE version of this book, follow the link below to
read about how Joel Armstrong, a loan
officer at a bank, helped a mother
duck with 10 ducklings negotiate traffic in Downtown Spokane, WA to
reach
the safety of the Spokane River.
It's a TRUE story (May 2008) and a great example to prove to
your
officials that today, even in busy
metropolitan settings, people DO care about their local duck
populations. Joel is
a true "Duck Hero"!
Note: Involving children in the presentation
If you are trying to get a duck sign put up because your child or their troop, pack or club has expressed
a concern about the ducks, this
could be a great opportunity for them to contribute to the presentation.
The
sincerity and honesty of children
can be a formidable force! Any official or Board being addressed by
children has to
consider the 2 possible following
headlines:
"Officials Approve Proposal by Little Janie;
Girl Scout Troop Celebrates!"
(Note: photo of "happy, joyful" Girl Scouts)
or...
"Officials Deny Proposal by Little Janie;
Girl Scout Troop Devastated!"
(Note: Photo of "crying, dejected" Girl Scouts)
It's important to remember that the desire to participate has to come from the children; it has to
be their decision to make a statement. (Adults using children to promote their own agenda is never well received.) It's a big decision for everyone involved because it is risky. If you decide to do this, the child must
be extremely articulate (no mumbling), poised
(no giggling) and comfortable
speaking in public (perhaps someone with experience in a choir, acting
club, team sports, cheer leading, etc.)
Generally, even if a child has some
lapses during a presentation, if they are truly sincere and really believe
in what they are doing, the officials will see that.
If
you do go ahead with a child presentation, they should be dressed
respectfully and well-rehearsed. (Practice, practice...)
If you can, visit the place where
the presentation will be made so that the surroundings will seem
familiar and you will know
how the room is set up for
addressing your audience. (Do this for yourself, too!) Ask the authorities if you can
practice/rehearse there.
If the child is a member of an
organization like Girl Scouts or Boy Scouts, they should wear their
uniform and...bring their
whole troop/pack with them! (Groups must be well-behaved during the presentation.)
Don't
forget to have a local news paper reporter there to cover the
presentation (or film it yourself for YouTube). Brief the reporter
on the subject matter and if they are
allowed to take photos during the meeting, make sure they get a picture
of the child showing
the picture in the book. (Warn the
child that a picture may be taken, probably with a flash) If you can't
take
pictures during the meeting, take
one afterwards.
Like
any "life lesson", it can go either way, but if it succeeds, think of
what an important
lesson in civic involvement it will
teach. Be prepared for both possible outcomes and no matter what
happens, applaud
them (and yourself!) for having put forth a valiant effort to make a difference in your local community!
NOTE: There
is one little "modern criticism" of the book, "Make Way for Ducklings";
it talks about feeding ducks in the
park. Back then, they probably did not know that feeding was harmful,
so when you
read the book to your children
today, remember to tell them that we know better, now...and that we
never, never feed
the ducks in the park today!
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