Posted on 09/29/2004 6:56:21 AM PDT by presidio9
The national bird, the bald eagle, will have a national tree, the oak, to alight on if legislation passed Tuesday by the House makes its way through Congress and is signed by the president.
The oak tree, said Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Virginia, is present in all 50 states and "represents the fundamental characteristics of this great nation: strength, endurance and beauty."
Goodlatte, in a statement, said the oak, in addition to being a highly prized material for furniture and flooring, has played a vital role in the nation's history.
He recalled how Andrew Jackson took shelter under Louisiana's Sunnybrook Oaks on his way to the Battle of New Orleans and how the USS Constitution, "Old Ironsides," repelled British cannonballs with its oak hull.
He also cited a 2001 online survey taken by the National Arbor Day Foundation, which the oak won over 20 other national tree candidates. The oak was the favorite among some 100,000 of the 444,000 votes cast. In second place was the redwood with 80,000 votes, followed by the dogwood, maple and pine.
The United States already has a national flower, the rose. The bald eagle was officially adopted as the emblem of the United States in 1787 despite the opposition of Ben Franklin, who preferred the turkey.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
How stupid. Clearly this man has too much time on his hands.
And we thought the Congress was wasting our money!!
And we thought the Congress was wasting our money!
Which Oak? Red, Pin, Liveoak?
You all can just call me "Two Times".
Southern Live Oak of course.
NNNNobody expects the spanish inquisition!!!
Could have been worse. They could have voted Al Gore our national tree.
Official tree (and drink) of the Kerry Campaign: Hemlock.
Didn't Al Gore invent the oak?
What about a cherry tree? George Washington couldn't lie about it. Or apple trees for Johnny Appleseed.
Chestnut Oak, Water Oak, White Oak?
The way he's looking these days, he certainly didn't invent Slim-Fast...
I've got about 16 oaks I'd like to donate to the national cause. Will Congress send me someone to cut these menaces down?
leaves...acres...branches...hurricane food...
Could the national plant be hemp? what next????
I can recognize the larch from a very long distance. Monty Python lives!
DAMN! It's a fix I tell you a fix!
I have been lobbying so hard for Balsam Fir until those lying, bribing OAK people came in and stole it with their fancy dinners and sexy escorts.
I'm going to appeal! This is not fair and not right for America. Balsam Fir has more resin than any other fir variety! Does that mean nothing to America?
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