Did you know that Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be the national bird, instead of the bald eagle? Here is the famous excerpt from the letter to his daughter:
For my own part I wish the Bald Eagle had not been chosen 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 near the River, where, too lazy to fish for himself, he watches the Labour 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 & Robbing he is generally poor and often very lousy. Besides he is a rank Coward: The little King Bird 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 King birdsfrom our Country . . .
I am on this account not displeased that the Figure is not known as a Bald Eagle, but looks more like a Turkey. For the Truth the Turkey is in Comparison a much more respectable Bird, and withal a true original Native of America . . . He is besides, though a little vain & silly, a Bird of Courage, and would not hesitate to attack a Grenadier of the British Guards who should presume to invade his Farm Yard with a red Coat on.
Although the thought of a turkey as our national bird might seem ridiculous to us today, Ben Franklin saw something in this “vain & silly Bird of Courage” that we have completely lost sight of. If only we knew a little more about this amazing bird, maybe instead of being targeted for our plates, the turkey could hold a well-deserved place of honor – like the lazy, dishonest bald eagle.
Reasons to respect turkeys, and celebrate a bird-free holiday:
- -Wild turkeys can run at speeds of up to 25 miles per hour and can fly at up to 55 miles per hour! But sadly, the turkeys that are grossly manipulated on factory farms cannot fly and often they can barely even stand under their massively overweight bodies.
- -Evidence indicates that turkeys have been around for over 10 million years! (Homo sapiens have been around for about 200,000.)
- -Turkeys are rumored to be unintelligent, but most of the evidence to support their supposed stupidity, are actually genetic disorders caused by domestication and selective breeding on factory farms. Wild turkeys are capable of learning the geography of an area as large as 1,000 acres and evading predators through strategic camouflage.
- -A wild turkey’s natural lifespan averages 10 years. Factory farmed turkeys are slaughtered somewhere between 9-21 weeks.
- -Turkeys have a wingspan of nearly 6 feet! In the open forests where they naturally live, they are by far the largest bird.
- -Wild turkeys forage for food such as acorns, seeds, roots, insects and wild berries. Factory farmed turkeys are fed a mixture of corn, soy, growth hormones, antibiotics, scraps from processed turkey carcasses, and even litter and excrement.
- -Turkeys have more than 20 unique vocalizations that can be heard more than a mile away. They use these voices to recognize and communicate with one another.
- -Turkeys are social, playful birds that enjoy the company of others. They like to have their feathers stroked and they even chirp, cluck, and gobble along to music! Animal behavior experts say turkeys are social animals that bond and show affection and emotion.
It is devastating that these fascinating birds are manufactured like inanimate objects, that they are not even treated as living, feeling beings. But in the midst of their dark, rancid lives, turkeys have one solitary beam of hope: you. Make this Thanksgiving a compassionate one.
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Breakfast: Whole wheat English muffin with Earth Balance buttery spread
Lunch: Soy nuggets and awesome vegan chocolate pudding from Whole Foods
Dinner: Pasta and salad
