Thursday, November 22, 2012

I Have A Thanksgiving Question

 
Of all the traditions of the Presidency, the pardoning of the turkey is the strangest. Does anyone do any follow-up on what happens to the turkeys after they have been saved by the President? Every year I have a sick feeling that it's a five minute photo-op then the bird go right into the stove at the White House kitchen. I never see pictures of happy turkeys being driven to the country. I never see them frolicking around some palatial estate months later. The event just happens and everyone goes on their way. And even if anyone gets suspicious you can always just trot out a different turkey and no one would be the wiser. I wouldn't be able to tell one turkey from all the others. Why don't they pardon a ham or some Chinese food at Christmas? The whole spectacle is very disturbing.


This year the White House put a poll on Facebook which allowed people to VOTE on the turkey they most wanted to save. How does a person even make THAT decision? Does each turkey get 2 minutes to state their case or is it like high school where personality always loses out to good looks?

Even the little girl in the picture thinks the whole spectacle is messed up.

"I'm told Presidents Eisenhower and Johnson actuall ate their turkeys" Obama told reporters in 2009. You can't fault them for that. That a good-looking bird."

5 comments:

D.I. Felipe González said...

Those turkeys were bred as food, no pets. I´ve heard at least once it ended at a petting zoo.

Paladin said...

Most of the birds "pardoned" these days got to petting zoos... but they don't live very long. Maybe a year or two.

George W. Bush was the first President to issue an official Pardon to the Thanksgiving Turkey, and its been a tradition ever since. Oddly enough, JFK did spare one turkey while he was in office - only a couple of days before he himself was assassinated.

I think its a stupid tradition, myself. They do this, smile for the cameras, and then go inside to eat some other bird. I'd like to see my President go out into the woods, shoot their own turkey, clean/cook it, and chow down.

If nothing else, the Pants Shitting Hysterics from the Gaia Worshiping Zombies afterwards would be worth the ticket price.

Debra She Who Seeks said...

The pardon would mean more if it were followed up by legislation mandating vegetarianism for all, but nooooooooo. Just a stupid photo op.

Kal said...

I agree. Why can't they make vegetables that taste like the pink slime that goes into a Big Mac? If they could do that I wouldn't eat anythign else - because Big Mac? Well...that's good eatin.

Nathan said...

On Halloween, do they pardon a witch?