I know it's a shock to everyone, but New Mexico is a strange place in more ways than one. But here are the things that make me make that statement today.
State Seal:
Okay, I know most normal people don't pay much attention to state seals. And I don't blame them. But working in the legal profession I deal with various state agencies often, and from time to time I find myself studying the seal (or other such things) on the walls of various state buildings while I'm waiting for someone to do something. But this Seal must be the most (well, one of the most) amusingly politically incorrect official symbols out there. Look at it. It's got the Mexican Eagle with a snake, perched on a cactus, as in the Mexican flag. But then there's this large, American Bald Eagle perched benevolently over the Mexican Eagle, protecting it with its strong, encompassing wings. Don't worry, cute little Mexican Eagle, we'll protect you.
Then there's the State Motto, which is on the Seal, but you can't really see it. It's Crescit Eundo, which officially translates as, "It grows as it goes."
Stop sniggering. It's the Official Motto.
No, that's not funny, not funny at all. You should be ashamed of yourself.
There was some talk a few years ago about changing the motto, with its more-than-slightly-ambiguous implications, but nothing ever came of it. According to the omniscient Wikipedia it's a quote from Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, of all things, describing a thunderbolt. It was thought that the quote would suggest "dynamic growth."
Stop it.
But both of these things really are good symbols of New Mexico: odd, quirky, kind of clueless in an amusing sort of way, with not-so-subtle sordid undertones.
In another odd New Mexican story, I just saw that the mayor of Santa Fe has invited the King of Spain to come out for a visit. Spain still has a King, who knew? Anyway, that would be amusing. I wonder if all the scary Spaniards of Northern New Mexico would turn out en masse to sing the Spanish equivalent of God Save the King. I'll keep you posted.
Labels: new mexico, oddities
4 Comments:
You know, I knew the motto, but I never looked at the seal.
I'm not sure our home was EVER quite part of the US.
Oooo - we studied the motto in my NM history class (it was not required for accreditation, but I was going to teach it...). Our teacher pointed out JUST what you said about the two eagles. Around the time of NM joining the union there were also some pretty darn racist cartoons involving little brown people and very tall...well..."Americans". Apparently some Americans did not want Mexico in the union because the people in the state were too "brown". I wonder what the king will have to say about this...
I thought that the motto had been changed to "Everybody is somebody in New Mexico"?
I think they were debating that the year they decided on the official "State Question," and really, can you expect them to do both?
(For the record, the official State Question is "Red or Green?")
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