Tuesday, March 19, AD 2024 4:35am

The Turkey Pardon

One of the daffier aspects of Thanksgiving in these United States.  Presidents have received formal Thanksgiving turkeys since Harry Truman.  Both Truman and Eisenhower, practical men who had known poverty growing up,  ate the Turkeys given to them.  (I assume the idea of turning away gift food would have struck them as blasphemous.)  Kennedy spared one Turkey in 1963 and Nixon let a few escape the oven.  It is appropriate that Reagan, tender-hearted and a born showman, began the presidential pardon of our delicious native bird in 1987.

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John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
Wednesday, November 21, AD 2018 7:37am

I find it very annoying. I suspect that they DO eat a turkey at their Thanksgiving dinner so THAT one isn’t spared. Why go through the ceremonial process and then spare the one or two turkeys that have been actually raised and given for the purpose of being eaten by the President. BTW, I never pardon our turkeys.

Mary De Voe
Wednesday, November 21, AD 2018 2:59pm

Happy Thanksgiving Peace and Karats

Howard
Howard
Wednesday, November 21, AD 2018 4:03pm

Yeah, I have to agree about the silliness of this tradition, on many levels. It is a bit jarring that a nation can be so callous towards human life but squeamish towards poultry. Besides, I doubt even Reagan kept a vegan Thanksgiving.

Ernst Schreiber
Ernst Schreiber
Wednesday, November 21, AD 2018 9:25pm

I thought Truman began the custom. Shows what I know. (Personally, I think it would have been funny if Trump had pardoned one & ate the other.)

T. Shaw
T. Shaw
Thursday, November 22, AD 2018 8:20am

My son in Louisiana raised 18 turkeys. He “processed” 15 and pardoned a jake and two hens to see if he can raise from eggs next year’s flick.

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