WASHINGTON, DC – Later today, President Obama will pardon a turkey! Where does the tradition come from?
Today, President Barack Obama will participate in the annual White House Thanksgiving Turkey Pardon. A turkey is brought onto stage, where it is “pardoned” from the annual Thanksgiving slaughter. It is then shipped off to Disneyland where it will live out it’s life.
The ceremony did not actually start out as a pardon. It was merely the National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation, where the President was given a live turkey to eat!
It is unclear when the tradition began, but Presidents have taken different actions throughout the years. Eisenhower ate all the turkeys presented during his two terms, while Kennedy merely excused his turkey without an official “pardon”.
It was during the first Thanksgiving of George H.W. Bush’s term in 1989 that the pardoning became a tradition. The turkeys were given a “presidential pardon”, and sent to a farm in Frying Pan Park in Virginia. However, since 2005, they have instead gone to Disneyland, where they serve as the honorary grand marshal of the Thanksgiving Parade!
In preparation of Obama’s first pardon, the White House has released this video preview:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHHPKSi4i2U]
Turkeys Courage and Carolina must be thankful for our Presidential tradition
of compassion this Thanksgiving. As a nation, we can follow that lead by
reminding ourselves that the turkeys we eat this holiday season were living
creatures.
Every Thanksgiving close to 50 million turkeys are slaughtered – most under
inhumane conditions.
Like the President, Americans can show compassion this season by adopting a turkey at CATSKILL ANIMAL SANCTUARY, where we rescue mistreated farm animals and give them a place to live out their days in peace and tranquility — turkeys just like Courage and Carolina.
Go to http://www.casanctuary.org to adopt a turkey, check out our links to delicious vegetarian recipes, and read the story of our own dramatic and heartwarming turkey rescue in our Director's blog, “All in a Day's Work.”
— Michelle Alvarez, Director of Outreach, Catskill Animal Sanctuary
But the sad thing is that 'The Pardon Turkey' was sent to Disneyland on a 1st class plane ticket!!?!! Also according to
http://www.mnn.com/food/farms-gardens/blogs/where…
Most of 'The Pardon Turkeys' die within 1 year of arriving at Disneyland. So more of a reprieve than a pardon, eh?
P.S. If Mr. & Ms. Obama don't like fat people then what about Oprah, Queen Latifah and other big black women? Aren't the Obama's just dissing themselves? They really are kind of facist in that the want us all to be good little automatons that look and think exactly alike. I guess. Sad. But on the lighter side I'm still going to have a big Thanksgiving dinner despite the need for the whole world to tear down the American way of life, its holidays, its people, its dreams. Forget than and spread the love and pass the gravy!
Why do you have to bring race "big black women" in a non-racial issue. Nobody says you have to pardon a turkey or that the Obama's were not eating one. Also what are they trying to do to make us think and look exactly alike. Just wondering because you have no facts supporting your claims. What are they doing to tear down Thanksgiving or other holidays specifically. Sounds like a bunch of paranoia to me.
I say the Prez should have ate the sucker instead of pardoning it.
OMG- Sparkleplenty- You're an idiot!!!!
FAT BLACK WOMEN?!!!!
Seek a therapist to work out your issues!
Maybe the meal wasn't expensive enough for his lavish standards –
One big turkey in the White House is enough anyway –
Three more years of this crap and we will work on getting America back!
Maybe the meal wasn't expensive enough for his lavish standards –
One turkey in the White House is plenty!