President Obama "pardoned" a turkey named Courage yesterday at the White House, taking part in an annual tradition that dates back to 1989. Courage will be sent to Disneyland to live out his life - probably a year or so, because turkeys bred for meat are too large to survive much longer. Obama joked about eating turkeys, but I don't find it funny to think about their deaths and their suffering.
Obama also sent out a mass email yesterday that said:
But tomorrow is also a day to remember those who cannot sit down to break bread with those they love . . . So when we gather tomorrow, let us also use the occasion to renew our commitment to building a more peaceful and prosperous future that every American family can enjoy.
I look forward to that tomorrow. That day when children will ask why the turkey is the symbol of Thanksgiving, and are told that long ago, people used to eat turkeys on Thanksgiving. Before the world was a more peaceful place.
In the meantime, we still have Fur-Free Friday in the U.S., on the day after Thanksgiving, to raise awareness of the cruelty of fur. Find an event here, and speak out against fur.
Alex Wong / Getty Images
Suggested Links:
- Bush and Palin Pardon Turkeys
- Photo Gallery of Rescued Animals at Farm Sanctuary
- Is Obama Good for Animals?
- How Do You Celebrate Thanksgiving? poll
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