Or: Scapegoating native plant advocates for wanting to keep local endemic plant populations alive so you can feel better about how much you love an invasive plant species isn't a good look.
I think the reason many people are taken in by arguments from the "all plants are good" people is that they aren't out there witnessing how bad it is. They haven't had the experience you described when you saw the masses of callery pears. They see the debate as mostly theoretical, something that should be decided based on ideology. The fact that the arrival of certain invasive plants tends to mean less diversity and in some cases reverting to near monocultures is not understood at all.
I think the reason many people are taken in by arguments from the "all plants are good" people is that they aren't out there witnessing how bad it is. They haven't had the experience you described when you saw the masses of callery pears. They see the debate as mostly theoretical, something that should be decided based on ideology. The fact that the arrival of certain invasive plants tends to mean less diversity and in some cases reverting to near monocultures is not understood at all.