I started this piece during the pandemic, prior to the murder of George Floyd & the protests that ensued. This eagle took on a deeper meaning as current events unfolded.
The bald eagle is obviously very significant in the USA. Not only is it a symbol of the nation but it also holds a lot of personal meaning for folks & cultures throughout. Besides being symbolic bald eagles are also a keystone species.
I think of the bald eagle as an American growth story. In 1940, when it was recognized that the bald eagle was facing threats from humans, Congress chose to create the Bald Eagle Protection Act. Even so, the bald eagle population continued to decline. In 1970 President Nixon proposed & saw the creation of the EPA after observing the negative impact humans were having on the environment. In 1972 the EPA banned the chemical DDT, in part due to the writing of conservationist Rachel Carson, who published her book Silent Spring in 1962. The Endangered Species Act was passed in 1973 & the bald eagle became one of the first critters listed as endangered.
Because of environmental & endangered species protections the current bald eagle population is no longer listed as endangered. The fact that folks could come together to protect such a lovely keystone species gives me hope & demonstrates the power of listening & being heard. Bald eagles can’t speak for themselves. They needed humans to recognize their mistakes & take steps to ensure its survival. That point was heard & a moral, humane, change was made.
As moral beings we’re given the ability to empathize for a reason. I think the biggest step we can take is to step out of our own assumptions & truly listen.
Most people don’t write a book or take time out of their life to protest unless they want to be heard. It is our duty to truly listen, empathize & be the change. Not all of us have the power to create the EPA, but we do have individual power to not poison the earth, to save a turtle crossing the road, or to be kinder & more understanding.
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9″ x 12″ Acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas
©2020
