Polar bear vs. beaver? Time to replace national emblem: Senator

[ddobro2]

Polar bear vs. beaver? Time to replace national emblem: Senator

Postmedia News
October 28, 2011 6:32 AM

A Canadian senator is calling for the industrious beaver to step aside for a new, more intimidating official national emblem: the polar bear.

Slamming the beaver as a "dentally defective rat," Conservative Sen. Nicole Eaton this week urged that it be replaced as part of a national "emblem makeover," the National Post reports.

"A country's symbols are not constant and can change over time as long as they reflect the ethos of the people and the spirit of the nation," Eaton told the Senate on Thursday.

"The polar bear, with its strength, courage, resourcefulness and dignity, is perfect for the part. The polar bear is the world's largest terrestrial carnivore and Canada's most majestic and splendid mammal, holding reign over the Arctic for thousands of years."

Currently, the beaver sits on a list of our national emblems that also includes the maple tree and the maple leaf.

[jayde]

What a waste of time, money and effort...

[ddobro2]

I see your point but I actually tend to see this bill getting support. It reminds me of the national symbol history in the U.S. and the story of how Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey and not the bald eagle as the national symbol. Apparently, the eagle was of "poor moral character" and didn't earn its living honestly. Obviously though, not too many people wanted America to be symbolized by a fat bird with a reputation for being stupid due to domestication and losing some of its wild instincts.

And if anything, changing Canada's national symbol to the polar bear might help to save more of these endangered species.....we all know that when the bald eagle populations plummeted, it was the fact that this was the national symbol of America that really gave people that extra push to protect it.

What a waste of time, money and effort...

[awor]

Slamming the beaver as a "dentally defective rat,"

Coming from Oregon (home of the Oregon Beavers, as our state animal is also a beaver), I'm offended! Beavers are awesome, intelligent, hardworking.

[scylla]

Coming from Oregon (home of the Oregon Beavers, as our state animal is also a beaver), I'm offended! Beavers are awesome, intelligent, hardworking.

I'm with you. Beavers are fascinating and industrious. Keep the beaver!

[Bargeld]

Can I rely on this same senator to buck the "monarchy" symbol too? If so, I'm on board!