SNIP
Ronald Reagan in 1987 was technically the first president to use the word "pardon" about a turkey, but it was really just a way to deflect questions about the Iran-Contra scandal and whether he would pardon key players involved — Oliver North and John Poindexter. The bird, "Charlie," was already headed for a petting zoo, but after Sam Donaldson of ABC News pressed Reagan on whether he'd pardon North and Poindexter, Reagan responded, "If they'd given me a different answer on Charlie and his future, I would have pardoned him."
Two years later, George H.W. Bush formalized the turkey pardoning ceremony, giving birth to the modern-day tradition.
5. What happens to the turkey afterward?
This is where the story turns very sad. They are sent to a farm in Virginia, where a former governor raised his own turkeys, but they do not live very long. In fact, every pardoned turkey is dead except for two — "Cheese," the second half of last year's duo ("Mac" died in July of this year), and "Courage," pardoned in 2009.
These birds, though, are bred to be eaten. Many industrially grown turkeys are fattened up with a protein-rich diet of corn and soybeans. They can't fly, because they are too big; their bone structures can't hold up all that weight for very long; and their organs fail if they're kept alive too long.
These unfortunate facts have been a sore point for animal-rights activists, like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, better known as PETA, which listed its complaints, including noting the fates of the recent "pardoned" birds. Others, including writers at the Washington Post and Vox, have called the pardon "America's dumbest" and "most absurd holiday tradition."
But the turkey federation, of course, pushes back on that notion.
"Think of the meaning of Thanksgiving," argued Keith Williams, vice president for communications and marketing at the turkey federation. "It's always been about the presentation of the National Thanksgiving Turkey — symbolic of the blessings of agriculture we have in this country. It becomes a time for the president to recall with the nation our blessings and celebrate the beginning of the holiday season."
Reasons never to eat commercially raised turkey. A feast of chemicals. These turkeys cannot even reproduce on their own.
Interesting article, though the ‘sad’ part is only in regards to Obama’s turkeys; the turkeys who were pardoned 2005-2009 went to either Disneyland or Disney World, one of whom from 2009 is still alive (which admittedly is quite the accomplishment.) My niece used to be in charge of the pardoned turkey and the alternate.
In 1985, I saw the pair which were pardoned in 1984 at the national zoo on a trip to the Boy Scout National Jamboree - they had a nice little plaque describing how one was pardoned by Reagan and the other was the designated alternate. So while 1987 might have been the first time mentioned by a president about pardoning, that was how the process was described at least back in 1985.
I’ll have to see if I can dig out the old slide with the plaque on it, as I’m pretty sure the birds were named as well, but don’t recall what those names were.
The photo at the top is Reagan with one of the two turkeys I saw: http://dailysignal.com/2014/11/26/president-started-turkey-pardon-tradition/