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.
Copyright ©
Maurice Rigoler
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