Thursday, November 22, 2012

Time to Kill the Turkey Pardon?

Of all the indignities a president must endure, officiating at the annual turkey pardon is perhaps the most unbecoming. Being mocked by late-night comedians or spit up on by a baby or called a liar by a member of Congress? Those things happen. But they pale next to this bizarre spectacle — sort of the turkey population’s version of the “Hunger Games” — in which the leader of the world stays the execution of two overweight birds while another 45 million or so shuffle off to the chopping block.

Every year in late November, the disbelieving eyes of the world turn to Washington to watch the White House’s current occupant exercise this presidential prerogative. And on Wednesday they weren’t disappointed as President Obama gamely feigned interest in the fate of the fowl in front of him.
Read the rest here.

Waaaay overdue.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

It would be a far more meaningful gesture if a President had no turkey (or other animals on their Thanksgiving table that year). If any president ever walks the bird over to the chopping block and on live TV beheads the fowl (complete with hopefully chicken minus head chaos), he would have my vote for as long as he was up for reelection.

Visibilium said...

The turkey almost became America's national bird. Having seen bald eagles without the benefit of airbrushing, I'd too vote for the turkey.