Gather 'Round as President Bush Pardons a Turkey
A History of Thanksgiving Clemency and the 2008 Pardoning Activities
Nov 24, 2008
Although rumor has it that President Truman began the tradition of pardoning turkeys on Thanksgiving, it was actually George H.W. Bush who was responsible for issuing the first declaration. The official turkey pardon, issued each November since 1989, keeps two lucky birds from losing their heads and allows them to live out their lives in peace.
Why two turkeys, you ask? The main reason is because a second turkey is chosen as a back-up, in case the first turkey falls ill or misbehaves. Although only one turkey is generally presented at the ceremony in the Rose Garden, both turkeys are granted the full pardon.
When it comes to the 2008 festivities, The Des Moines Register recently reported that the lucky turkeys slated to receive this year’s pardon will come from the state of Iowa. The turkeys, dubbed "Pumpkin" and "Pecan" by popular vote, will be presented to President Bush by Paul Hill (the chairman of the National Turkey Federation) and his wife, Mary.
Yet, while Iowans are rejoicing, it isn’t all gravy for the chosen turkeys. In fact, National Georgraphic writer Bijal P. Trivedi explains that chosen turkeys are often forty-five pounds or more in weight. In the article entitled “Where Do Turkeys Go after Being Pardoned by the President?” Trivedi marks the down-side of raising turkeys in this way: because the turkeys are raised to be plump and beautiful, their weight often causes life-threatening problems and most of the chosen turkeys don’t live long enough to see the next Thanksgiving. Yet, regardless of their longevity after the pardoning, unlike close to 50 million of their brothers and sisters, these two turkeys are rewarded with the temporary reprieve of being spared from the dinner table.
It’s a good thing that these turkeys are spared too, since the wisdom of old tells us that we should never name anything that we will later eat. As such, because these turkeys are free from being eaten, the White House does take on the task of naming the birds. Suggestions are accepted online and a vote is taken to name the turkeys. Winners in years past have included “Freedom” and “Liberty,” “Flyer” and “Fryer,” as well as “May” and “Flower.” It is through this same online vote that the birds slated for the 2008 pardon were named "Pumpkin" and "Pecan." The White House does keep a record of these votes and detailed information (from the year 2003 onward) can be found in the kids’ section of the White House website.
As for Eric and Troy in the famous “Shibboleth” episode of the West Wing, Press Secretary C.J. Cregg can rest easy. Both of the chosen turkeys are granted a presidential pardon each year and are no at risk of being eaten. Having the task of choosing the more photogenic of the two turkeys to be given a pardon while the other is slated to be eaten sure does make for entertaining television though! And, arm-twisting the president into pardoning and buying the second turkey makes it even better.
That being the case, it seems that the writers of the West Wing would certainly have agreed with former President Bill Clinton when he commented at the 1995 pardoning ceremony: “There are so many turkeys in Washington, I should pardon at least one a year, I think.”
For more information on the presidential history of turkey pardons, please visit "The US President Grants a Pardon to a Turkey?"
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