Charlotte County Florida Weekly

PEEPLES SPEAKS

Mockingbird



 

 

There are problems with emblems of Florida’s heritage.

There are complaints about Florida’s state song, “Old Folks at Home.”

Others have facetiously said that the title is appropriate with different words to reflect Florida’s aging population.

The original purpose of Stephen Foster’s song, “Old Folks at Home,” has been completely lost and is totally out of sync with modern Florida. Perhaps a military-style march with the roll of drums and the blast of trumpets would be more appropriate as we parade into the 21st century. But if we are going to select a new state song, we should seriously consider changing the official state bird, too.

The mockingbird has been the state bird longer than “Old Folks at Home” has been the state song, and certainly, Florida is not the same as it was in 1927 when this emblem was adopted.

The Northern Mockingbird is the state bird of Florida.

The Northern Mockingbird is the state bird of Florida.

The gray and white mockingbird is a year-round resident of Florida, and is possibly the best-known bird in the state. It is also one of man’s best allies against harmful predators.

What is wrong with the mockingbird as a Florida symbol? Well, it lives in Florida year-round. That isn’t done anymore. It is not reflective of modern Florida. Our residents fly out in summer and the tourists flock to the state in winter.

The mockingbird is the best-known bird in the state, which makes it entirely too common. That’s not sophisticated enough for modern Florida. We have no common people. Seventy percent of the people who live in Florida are not native to the state, and nobody moving to Florida is common.

(The mockingbird’s) name in Latin means “mimic of many tongues.” It has no distinctive voice of its own, but can speak in voices of a thousand tongues. That says it all about a Florida struggling to find itself.

And last, the mockingbird is an ally against harmful predators. The migratory avalanche of people flowing to

Fgf Florida has removed much of the native green, the flowering trees and the lush flora that once was Florida, and has replacedr it with black asphalt, crowded strips ai malls and diminished quality of air and water. Thus, the stressed mockingbird will soon be as rare as a Florida Cracker. The mockingbird can’t be a legitimate state emblem.

There are some other candidates. The scrub jay, for instance. This blue and gray bird may not be a good choice. The scrub jay is found in the dense brush on the Florida peninsula, and is rarer than a Florida Cracker. The mockingbird is not so provincial. He is found in other Southern and Eastern states, which makes him more representative of Florida than the lowly scrub jay.

The pelican might be a choice. This large, web-footed bird comes in both white and brown, which could make him more acceptable. These wise old birds sit on posts most of the day and don’t appear to bother anybody. When they are hungry, they fish for themselves and sometimes take more than they can eat. They don’t stay in Florida year-round, but they hang around warm regions. The pelican is picturesque, but doesn’t fit.

We need to find a bird that reflects what Florida is today. The typical Floridian is not native to the sate. Perhaps he is a native of Indiana or Pennsylvania, 55 years old, and Florida resident for about 10 years. This may not be accurate, but close.

This situation is difficult for Florida natives to accept. The natural habitat for natives, both people and birds, is surrounded and shrinking.

Mockingbird, scrub jay, pelican, and there may be others — none really fit. On second thought, maybe the mockingbird should be kept. The most distinctive feature about the mockingbird is its voice. ¦

— Vernon Peeples has been a resident of Charlotte County since 1933 and served in the Florida House of Representatives for 14 years. A respected historian, he has produced two books on the history of Punta Gorda and Charlotte County. From 1997- 2010, he was a weekly commentator on WGCU’s radio program, “Vernon’s Views,” which focused on Florida history and issues. Mr. Peeples’ column runs monthly in Florida Weekly.


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