June 23rd The Bald Eagle

June 23rd The Bald Eagle American legend says that during one of the first battles of the Revolutionary War, the noise of early morning gunfire woke some sleeping eagles, which flew from their nests and circled overhead. "They are shrieking for freedom," the Patriots said. The bald eagle has been a national emblem since June 1782, when Congress adopted the Great Seal of the United States, which features a widespread eagle. Congress chose the bald eagle because it is native to only North America, and because eagles have long symbolized strength, courage, freedom, and long life. You can find the eagle, among other places, on quarters, dollar bills, half-dollars, the president's flag, and the mace of the U.S. House of Representatives. The term bald does not mean the eagle lacks feathers. It comes from piebald, an old word meaning "spotted with white," and refers to the white feathers on the bird's head and tail. By the mid-twentieth century, much of the bald eagle population had been wiped out by hunting, trapping, loss of forestland, and pollution from pesticides. In 1963, the Lower 48 states were home to only about 400 nesting pairs. The bald eagle first gained federal protection in 1940, and in 1967 it was listed as an endangered species. Since that time, it has made a remarkable comeback. By 2007, the Lower 48 were home to some 10,000 nesting pairs. In Alaska, where the bald eagle was never endangered, the population was estimated at between 50,000 and 70,000 birds. In June 2007 the Interior Department announced that it was taking the bald eagle off the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife. Killing or harming these majestic creatures remains a federal crime.   Carl Ray Louk "FRIENDSHIP NEVER ENDS" SG-1996 "LET LOVE LEAD THE WAY" SG-2000 "THE PHOENIX SHALL RISE" SD "EVEN A MAN WHO IS PURE IN HEART AND SAYS HIS PRAYERS BY NIGHT, MAY BECOME A WOLF WHEN THE WOLFBANE BLOOMS AND THE AUTUMN MOON IS BRIGHT." LT-1941 "FLESH OF MY FLESH; BLOOD OF MY BLOOD; KIN OF MY KIN WHEN SAY COME TO YOU, YOU SHALL CROSS LAND OR SEA TO DO MY BIDDING!" CVTD-1895 "FROM HELL'S HEART I STAB AT THEE, FOR HATE SAKE I SPIT MY LAST BREATH AT THEE" CA-1895  "I HAVE BEEN, AND ALWAYS SHALL BE YOUR FRIEND" Spock  "TRICK OR TREAT, TRICK OR TREAT CANDY IS DANDY BUT MURDER, OH MURDER, IS SO SWEET" CRL-2003  "EYE OF NEWT, AND TOE OF FROG, WOOL OF BAT, AND TONGUE OF DOG ADDER'S FORK, BLIND-WORM'S STING, LIZARD'S LEG, AND OWLET'S WING. FOR A CHARM OF POWERFUL TROUBLE, LIKE A HELL-BROTH BOIL AND BABBLE. DOUBLE, DOUBLE, TOIL AND TROUBLE, FIRE BURN, AND CALDRON BUBBLE" WS Facebook: www.facebook.com/CarlRayLouk Twitter: www.twitter.com/CarlRayLouk MySpace: www.myspace.com/carlraylouk Yahoo Group: Yahoo! Groups : LouksHauntedGraveyardhttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/LouksHauntedGraveyard/ Yahoo Group: Yahoo! Groups : TheWorldAccordingtoCarlRayLouk http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TheWorldAccordingtoCarlRayLouk/