Ben Franklin and Turkeys

Sunday, January 26th, 2003

It was on a January 26th 219 years ago that Benjamin Franklin wrote a letter from France to his daughter, Sarah Bache. Franklin, an old guy in 1784, offered a delightful rationale for the young United States adopting the turkey instead of the eagle as its official bird. Here's what he said:

Begin Franklin quote
Others object to the bald eagle as looking too much like a dindon, or turkey. For my own part, I wish the bald eagle had not been chosen as the representative of our country; he is a bird of bad moral character; he does not get his living honestly; you may have seen him perched on some dead tree, where, too lazy to fish for himself, he watches the labor of the fishing-hawk; and, when that diligent bird has at length taken a fish, and is bearing it to his nest for the support of his mate and young ones, the bald eagle pursues him, and takes it from him. With all this injustice he is never in good case; but, like those among men who live by sharping and robbing, he is generally poor, and often very lousy. Besides, he is a rank coward; the little kingbird, not bigger than a sparrow, attacks him boldly and drives him out of the district. He is therefore by no means a proper emblem for the brave and honest Cincinnati of America, who have driven all the kingbirds from our country; though exactly fit for that order of knights, which the French call Chevaliers d'Industrie.

I am, on this account, not displeased that the figure is not known as a bald eagle, but looks more like a turkey. For in truth, the turkey is in comparison a much more respectable bird, and withal a true original native of America. Eagles have been found in all countries, but the turkey was peculiar to ours; the first of the species seen in Europe, being brought to France by the Jesuits from Canada, and served up at the wedding table of Charles the Ninth. He is, besides, (though a little vain and silly, it is true, but not the worse emblem for that,) a bird of courage, and would not hesitate to attack a grenadier of the British guards, who should presume to invade his farmyard with a red coat on.
End Franklin Quote

There much more in this note of great humor from a father to his daughter – mostly Franklinian discourse on the silliness of badges and emblems of nobility in Europe. You can read the entire letter online here. Imagine, kola, the rather "silly" turkey depicted in all his glory (perhaps in attempted flight) on the tails of fighter plans or the sides of combat tanks! This alone might be reason enough to think carefully before charging into war. Think of it: instead of "Screaming Eagles" there would be military units named the "Gobbling Turkeys." Turkeys are rather down-to-earth birds – and vegetarians to boot. Folks in western Dakota, where 'tis indeed a glorious day with a potential high of ten above, might not like this part of what the turkey suggests about a society that would adopt it as its emblem – they would prefer a bird that doesn't turn down a piece of red meat. Even worse, there's all those turkey burgers and sausages out there – 'tis enough to drive a cowman crazy. True, there's no turkey talking in the soaring imagery of eagles in everything from pop hymns to martial music, but only, perhaps, because we have not given the bird the respect that Franklin says he deserves.

Of course, he was talking about the rather lean wild turkey – not the dumbed-down butterballs from turkey farms that wouldn't last long even in the rather unseasonably balmy ten above today (well, all right, it is 18 below now, but the temperature is going to soar like a turkey) in Dakota if they had to get out and fend for themselves.

About 100 years ago, the British author Gilbert Keith Chesterton wrote, " A turkey is more occult and awful than all the angels and archangels. In so far as God has partly revealed to us an angelic world, he has partly told us what an angel means. But God has never told us what a turkey means. And if you go and stare at a live turkey for an hour or two, you will find by the end of it that the enigma has rather increased than diminished."

Ah, sweet mystery of life! Oh, yes – I do know that it's Super Bowl Sunday and that there are many, many more weighty matters than talking about turkeys on this fine January day. Maybe if Tampa Bay wins the Super Bowl the owner will consider changing the name and mascot to the Tampa Bay Turkeys. Now wouldn't that be grand?

Take care of yourselves and each other kola –

Ev Albers