Ben Franklin’s Proposal

They wanted the eagle as national bird. Franklin opted for the turkey, plentiful in his day, an easy shot and an easy meal. He had a point, of course. The eagle was a predator, however; a killer, a flesh-eater, a warrior. Yet it was majestic, a strong flyer, a summit dweller, and, like clouds, unassailable – in short, a bird well-suited to an emerging nation with grandiose aspirations and a far-reaching vision to match. By contrast, the turkey was a mere seed and berry eater – nothing heroic, nothing sanguine in that. Then, too, it had the presence and bearing of a widow in mourning (at least the hen), dark feathered, drab; a face almost disfigured by an ugly hanging wattle; a woodland dweller, a flyer barely able to get above tall trees, and vulnerable – an easy shot for any boy with a sharp eye and a handy musket. The nation’s high calling needed a symbol equal to its destiny. After all, had not Providence ordained great things for it? Franklin’s choice was sound indigenously, but the practical Pennsylvanian was less than visionary when it came to a national symbol. Happily the eagle won out. And history and politicians have had no regrets. Aesthetically, the eagle was easily the better choice. Public buildings, monuments, and flagpoles (not to mention the presidential seal), topped off proudly with a gilded or bronzed turkey seems somehow not convincing and just a bit ludicrous. Was Franklin dismayed? Not at all. His second choice was the rattle snake.