I was surfing the lepidoptera listserves to see which way the wind might be blowing relative to the article Dr Jeffry Glassberg wrote for the most recent issue of Birding [see On Birders and Lepers this blog space]. The discussion centers on the veiled cheap shots by Dr Glassberg at Robert Michael Pyle and the not so veiled shot he took at the late Alexander Klot. They've also taken umbrage at Dr. Glassberg's revisionist views of Roger Tory Peterson and, of all people, J.J.Audubon as champions of the no nets world view.
Of course it doesn't help that Dr Glassberg essentially tarred the entire western part of the United States with a rather nasty brush, claiming that westerners were somehow backward because they've failed to accept his world view. One is tempted to compare Dr Glassberg with certain fundamentalist religious leaders when it comes to identifying sinners and certain promenent U.S. leaders in envolking the names of famous dead people to champion causes they probably wouldn't have had anything to do with.
It looks like there will be letters aplenty on this subject in the next issue or to of Birding. The editors of Birding may want to think twice next time before they stray outside the bounds of their charter...
If the topic intrigues you, try lurking on the Lepidopterist List for the full flavor of the discourse.
Posted by mbalame at March 18, 2005 2:27 AM