A state can have all the symbols it wants. But how many is too many? Should all this symbolizing have stopped short of, say, Arizona's state reptile, the ridge-nosed rattlesnake?
Did Georgia really need a state o'possum? Apparently so: The designation goes to the cartoon critter, Pogo, a denizen of the Okefenokee Swamp.
Folks in Maine, you might think, already knew what a Whoopee Pie is (beloved Yankee version of a Moon Pie) without being told it's the official state snack.
But still, a person can imagine other symbols Arkansas should have. Even David Ware, historian and author of It's Official!: The Real Stories Behind Arkansas's State Symbols, gives in to a bit of speculation.
"A number of states have designated various fish," he says, "and if someone asked me, I'd point out the brown trout. Why? Well, when one thinks of Southern fishing, fish like bass or catfish or bream or crappie come to mind. But we have some of the finest fly fishing in the nation here -- something folks from out of state don't expect."
"We probably don't need a state snack food, but we might find some way to honor the gastronomical glory of Atkins, the fried pickle.
"And we probably do not need an additional state song, but in the event that someone feels the urge to designate one, I'd nominate 'Sis Draper' by Guy Clark and Shawn Camp."
She came down from the Boston Mountains, the lyrics go to this song about a woman and her fiddle. There was lightnin' in the air.
Honey on them fiddle strings,
Magnolia in her hair.
-- Ron Wolfe
Style on 01/17/2016