GONSALVES: Give the Rock Dove Its Due

Paying homage to America's most revered apostle of nonviolence, President Bush provided us with an interesting image of irony last week.

I'm referring to the news photo of our hawkish chief executive laying a wreath at the tomb of the dove, who was not only instrumental in bringing forth a new racial paradigm in America but has become a powerful source of inspiration for peace and social justice movements across the globe -- the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

Though our president claims to be a Christian man of peace, the contrasting philosophies of Bush and King are hard to ignore. In fact, those who dare to utter King's words and thoughts in our post 9-11 world are branded by Bush-backers as "anti-American."

And those courageous enough to follow King's example of nonviolent civil disobedience run the risk of being labeled an "enemy combatant" subject to the sweeping powers of the Patriot Act.

But now that the symbolic birthdays of Jesus, the Prince of Peace, and King, the American Gandhi, have passed, the hawks will be at it again, preying on doves.

Of course, to the chagrin of hawks, doves are nowhere close to extinction due in part to the fact that doves are an incredibly resilient species with a long history of service to humanity. Did you know that the dove (including the popular white dove - the international symbol for peace) is a close relative of the pigeon? In fact, there is virtually no distinction between the two species.

It was a dove (or pigeon) that Noah sent out of the ark to see if the flood had subsided, according to the eighth chapter of Genesis. And it was a dove that descended on Jesus at his baptism, according to Mark's gospel.

Though the Christian right believes that "God was not a politically correct dove," in the words of the Rev. Jim Croft, it is beyond dispute that Christian theology considers the dove symbolic of the Holy Spirit.

And despite the dove's reputation for being a peaceful bird, they have proven themselves as courageous warriors on the battlefield.

The Romans used the homing pigeon in 43 B.C. as a military aid, delivering important information to soldiers. But it wasn't until the Franco-Prussian war that the homing pigeon received international acclaim, credited with delivering 150,000 pieces of official communication during the four-month siege of Paris.

The Office of Strategic Services -- the forerunner of the CIA -- used pigeons in the Korean War. And just in case electronic communications were knocked out, pigeons were even sent along with our troops to Iraq last March, though the World War II-era Signal Corps Army Pigeon Service, which included 3,000 enlisted men and 150 officers trained in the use and handling of pigeons, is now defunct.

Why are pigeons and doves so useful? Because of their unique characteristics. "Pigeons are excellent flyers. Capable of speeds greater than 50 mph. They can (also) outmaneuver a hawk if they see it coming," according to Nature writer Michelle Stripling.

Doves and pigeons are also excellent examples of stable and egalitarian family life. "Both male and female go through prolonged courtship behavior. Both birds help to build the nest. Both birds incubate the eggs. Both birds feed their young," according to Auburn University zoology professor Jim Armstrong.

Known more for its amazing homing ability, stamina, intelligence, adaptability, speed and cooing gentleness, the pigeon (or rock dove, as they are sometimes called because of their tendency to nest on rocky cliffs and now skyscrapers) are not without power. Ask an architect about the damage they can do to buildings with their droppings alone.

Symbolically and literally, we have a lot to learn from our pacifistic feathered friends, which, I imagine, is why Jesus himself, regarded by Christians and non-Christians alike as a supreme wisdom teacher, implored us to be "as wise as a serpent but as harmless as a dove."