Can "Flying Rats" Be "Niggers"?

Christine Quinn Sparks Pigeon Flap

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We understand that activists can get hyperbolic, but some animal rights gurus are getting downright crazy after Christine Quinn talked smack about pigeons. The openly gay NYC council speaker caused a minor blip this week when she derided the birds as “flying rats,” a common comparison: “I am not a fan of pigeons. I have no love of pigeons at all. I find them to be flying rats, and I have no use for them.” Some truly bored activists are deeply offended by Quinn’s words and even went so far as to compare “flying rat” to “nigger”. From NY Post:

Urban Wildlife Coalition founder Johana Clearfield wrote Quinn, slamming her as “clueless,” since “pigeons have nothing in common with rats” – and calling her comment an “epithet . . . much like the n-word.”

Um, first of all, calling a pigeon a flying rat is nothing like calling someone a nigger. Second, pigeons lack the intelligence and cognizance to understand the implications of Quinn’s words. So, basically, it’s moot.

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