We can thank Harry Truman for this bizarre tradition.
Fifty-eight years ago, President Truman pardoned a turkey presented to him by the National Turkey Federation. Now, every president pardons one lucky turkey while tens of millions of his or her brethren are slaughtered and consumed by Americans two days after the presidential pardon ceremony.
Pardon me, but that's just not right.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not denouncing the traditional Thanksgiving meal. I have no right to since I'm not a vegetarian. I've just always been irked by the silliness of one turkey being pardoned in a ceremony by the president of the United States, that's all.
From a PR standpoint, this is an annual publicity coup for the National Turkey Federation. Their press release runs in thousands of newspapers and video footage of the National Thanksgiving Turkey is beamed into nearly every household in America.
The whole thing reminds me of Groundhog Day (the event in Pennsylvania, not the movie). However, unlike Groundhog Day, we don't celebrate by slaughtering hapless groundhogs and eat ‘em with a side of cranberry sauce.
Bon appetit!
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