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Photo courtesy of WhiteHouse.gov.
Each year at the National Thanksgving Turkey presentation, the President of the United States pardons two turkeys presented to him by the National Turkey Federation. Although the tradition has roots dating all the way back to Abraham Lincoln, the official pardoning of turkeys did not start until 1989 under President George H.W. Bush.
According to
the White House website, last
year's turkeys were "picked
from a group of 30 birds" that
were "segregated into a
special area in the barn and...
periodically... given additional
interaction with people in an
effort to acclimate them to the
environment they will experience
in the Rose Garden Ceremony." By
mid-fall, 15 "finalists" were
selected, and the final two were
chosen a week before the presentation.
The two selected turkeys were
then sent to Disneyland to "participate"
in the Thanksgiving Day Parade.
The fates of the other 28 birds
are not discussed.
Traditionally, only one of the turkeys
is on hand for the ceremony. The second bird
is on standby in the case that the first bird
cannot "fulfill
the responsibilities of being the National
Turkey." Because
turkeys raised for food are selectively bred
to gain enormous amounts of weight, the National
Turkey could suffer a heart attack, a limb
injury, or a number of other problems at any
time, necessitating a stand-in.
Photo courtesy of WhiteHouse.gov.
We've launched
a petition on change.org and
written a letter asking the President
to pardon every turkey destined
to become a White House dinner
this holiday season.
If
the American spirit truly is
based on compassion, gratitude,
and sharing, then we should protect
innocent, sentient beings from
the harsh confines of factory
farms and the cruel methods of
slaughter. Keeping White House
dinners turkey-free this Thanksgiving
gives President Bush an opportunity
to make a statement against factory
farming and slaughter,
which results in destruction
of animals, human health, and
the environment.
To
view the letter and sign our
petition, click
here!
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