A Dumb Idea, In My Opinion

I've lived in this state of our Union for 22 years, and it was only tonight, at a band concert, that I became aware that the North Carolina State Animal is, horribly enough, the Gray Squirrel.  With all of the fine alternatives -- Black Bear, Red Wolf, North American Beaver...you name it -- this miserable invasive was the ultimate winner of the legislative lottery.  Our state is the only one insane enough to make this selection.  Kentucky adopted the squirrel also, but as an official wild game species, which sounds a good deal more sensible.  The "Squirrel Act" was enacted in 1968 and from what I can tell emerged from our illustrious House of Representatives as HB 1268.  But I have not identified the dimwitted state Representative who conjured up the unfortunate piece of legislation.  No doubt this was intended as a joke by a sodden solon emerging from the ground floor of the then-Sir Walter Raleigh.  Clearly this legislator was no birdfeeder.  Well, we definitely don't win them all.  It's time we adopted a better state mammal!