American Flag and Bald Eagle not Good Enough for Environmentalists

I really don't understand the environmentalist view here. Can someone please explain it better than Fox 5 Atlanta?

ATLANTA — For years, Georgia has raised money for wildlife protection by selling custom license plates with wildlife scenes. Sales skyrocketed this year for new tags featuring the bald eagle (search) and the American flag.

But some environmentalists say they do not want to contribute to the state's wildlife protection fund through a flag-waving symbol they believe will be seen as being linked to President Bush.

"The tag to me said politics, and the wildlife tag shouldn't be. It should be above the fray. It should be Republican. It should be Democrat. Everyone should be for the environment, and that tag doesn't say that," said environmentalist Michael Moody.

While a handful of liberal environmentalists claim the bald eagle and Old Glory together implies support for President Bush, big business and the war in Iraq, state wildlife officials say when they test-marketed several license plate designs, the eagle and flag tag came in first.

"We understand the conservationists or environmentalists may have preferred to see a more habitat-oriented design on this tag. However, we are trying to appeal to a broader market to support wildlife funding in Georgia," said Beth Brown of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (search).

That strategy appears to be working. In January, the eagle and flag plate outsold Georgia's other wildlife tag, which features deer and quail, by a margin of two to one.

See that the egal is not native t ogorgea i would have to agree witht that, it pisses me off whene ever I hear about people crying about pandas or whatever, we have at least a dozen criticaly endangerd species in Il but they are not cute so they are not worthy of local enviromental action i guess......

These people see a Bald Eagle on a license plate and all they see is George W. Bush in their eyes? Goofy.

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Originally posted here by RoadClosed
These people see a Bald Eagle on a license plate and all they see is George W. Bush in their eyes? Goofy.

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Goofy is right.....I would link Bush with an oil well or $ sign. Now if they put a fat elephant I would link it to the republicans, and a skinny donkey i would link to the democrates. But an eagle and the American flag I would link to being patriotic, and not any partison cause.

lol, I find it funny when Bush get's harped on about $ signs when Kerry is just as much a silver spoon guy. You can just as easily make up one with political kickbacks from the senate on it.

How about this then......A hand stuck out with a $ sign on it. Either a politician or TV evangilist.

How about this, I should market it.... "Seven Dollars for your Sins."

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$7S1NZ

RoadClosed

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Again my issue would be an enviromental plate repesenting a nonnative species, georgia has plenty of endangerd species of plants and animals that would be better served to be on that plate.

Basically you are saying a native north American migratory Bird that flies south for the winter and quite possible spent many millenia in Georgia has no basis for a license plate? Even if you toss out that idea... being that Georgia is a state, in a union of united states that chose a Bald Eagle to be it's representative mascot, and that bird happens to be endangered has no basis on a license plate. Perhaps people identify with a majestic bird of purpose vs. some obscure plant no one ever heard of. :) If no one buys the plate then the purpose isn't served. The money isn't going to save Bald Eagles is it, it's going to save endangered species in Georgia. The argument is pointless. But if you were to make an argument, Bald Eagles aren't even really on the list anymore if you look at the fact that in 1999 a petition was launched to remove them, legally they still are on the list but it's questionable.

And even if you look at what I know about them. Just because Bald Eagles do not thrive in areas touched by mankind, does not mean they never flourished in the once pristine forests of Georgia. In fact I bet they were common as the rivers and streams froze over in northern areas. But I am no expert I just remember them to be migratory based on freezzing temperatures. I am not sure how you can claim that a species of bird indigiounous to North America isn't a native species to a specific geography where they are often sited. No one brought them to the area, they were already here.

Your right bballad, and if the issue was just about showing environmentally endangered species, your point would be very valid. But by putting a bald eagle and American flag on this type of plate is not an environmental issue. By putting this on their plates, they are implying that patriotic symbolism is an environmental issue.

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"The tag to me said politics, and the wildlife tag shouldn't be. It should be above the fray. It should be Republican. It should be Democrat. Everyone should be for the environment, and that tag doesn't say that," said environmentalist Michael Moody.

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The subject is about the state making money. They have used a dedicated licence plate in completely different contex to increase the revenues avalible.
Is this wrong, or is it alright. The money still goes to the same place, but because of the new plate, it is increased. Does this increase (for a good cause) demean the actual cause, or does the end justify the means?
[EDIT] The plates themselves are not used (in my understanding) just to show endangered species, but wildlfe in general. [/EDIT]

Bald eagles can be found in every state except Hawaii.


I think that pretty well kills your "issue" bballad.

Just FYI - I did a little research and discovered that following:

"In the extreme southern portions of Georgia, Bald Eagles can be found in low numbers in the winter and breeding season. During the winter there are also occasional sightings of the Bald Eagle in other parts of the state."
http://museum.nhm.uga.edu/gawildlife...ocephalus.html

Moxnix - I agree with your point that putting the Bald Eagle and the US Flag on the license plates is an overt display of patriotism, but what I don't understand, is why it is considered wrong to use the symbols that represent this great nation (patriotic or not) as symbols to also help support the wildlife and natural resources that are part of what makes this nation great.

After thinking about this for awhile, I've decided that what we have here is a group of probably "liberal" environmentalists that are still hung up on Howard Dean's assertation that the Republican party owns the symbolic nature that the U.S. Flag represents, and that the U.S. Flag needs to be taken back from the Republicans. Why else would the claim that these symbols represent President Bush have any validity whatsoever?

I was behind a truck this morning that had a Georgia plate on it with a Turkey or some bird that also was a wildlife plate, so I went and looked at the DMV there. They have another plate that is just for wildflowers so I am not sure what the issue is with stating these Eagle plates should include native plant species. There are other one's for Trout and saving Quails and many many others since the plate also says support wild life. The moneys go into different arenas but they are all conservation based, so I have come to a conclusion along the lines of OverdueSpy, it's a smack of bullshit. By the way I am jealous of all the cool plates they got there.

In case any one is wondering what this plate looks like:

I see it as the environmentalists want some free press, and they are the ones turning it into a political cause. As for the rest of us with some common sense, it is a way for the state to make some money and put it to a good cause.