The spirit of the U.S., I feel, is not appropriately represented by the Bald Eagle. The spirit of the U.S. is best represented by the common [Northern] Mockingbird.
The mockingbird – whose aggressive territoriality lowers the [Divine] diversity of the area it decides to nest in, as it chases away any other [beautiful] bird that “dares” step foot near its nesting ground. It disturbs Peace out of misguided fear of potential harm and leaves its own child hungry while “defending its territory” from illusory threats.
The mockingbird – whose plain and comparatively ugly appearance offer no delight to the eyes and whose call is an irritant to the senses. The most beautiful thing about the mockingbird are the songs that it shamelessly appropriates from the very birds it drives away.
The mockingbird – who love to inhabit places they have no business being in (such as my yard) and are then upset and unsettled by my “audacity” to sit outside, enjoy the warm Summer’s breeze, or play with a [feline] friend in the grass.
Why does my enjoyment offend you so, little mockingbird? Don’t you know that you are free to leave if you cannot stand what you see?
Because we both know that you cannot drive me away. I will simply continue to Be, worry Free in the place that my family resided in long before you yourself even came to be.
So we can Peacefully coexist, little mockingbird, or you can fly away somewhere far, far away.