What's So Bad About Being Bio-Biased?

The New York Times' Natalie Angier writes amusingly of humans' penchant for favoring animal species anthropocentricly reflective of their own moral values. I suppose I'm guilty of such behavior myself, given how much I write about the peaceful, family-oriented qualities of the free-range Quaker Parrots of Brooklyn. Furthermore, I really do believe that the irrational affinity that many Manhattanites display for hawks and falcons is due to an unconscious self-identification with such stylish predators.

Language plays a big part in the good animal/bad animal dichotomy, which is why my own pupils narrow and adrenaline levels rise whenever somebody unfairly vilifies our newly native Monk Parrots an "invasive species." At this point I must remind them that our beloved monks have been "introduced" to urban environments, just like those fancy peregrine falcons they're so attached to.