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Alex Brandon / AP
President Obama pardons a turkey during a ceremony at the White House on Nov. 25, 2009.
In what has become a Thanksgiving tradition, the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals is asking for an end to a Thanksgiving tradition.
On Tuesday, PETA sent a letter to President Obama asking him to skip the annual Thanksgiving turkey pardon, a tradition that dates back to Abraham Lincoln. The letter sent by PETA president Ingrid Newkirk said the ceremony “makes light of the mass slaughter of some 46 million gentle, intelligent birds” and “portrays the United States president as being in some sort of business partnership with the turkey-killing industry.”
“We usually ask for other things, but this is the first time we have asked (the president) to give the ceremony a rest,’’ Newkirk told TODAY.com. “I think it’s just been building. The time has come. It’s hard to find anybody who supports the idea of factory farming, and there have been so many reports this year of the environmental effects of factory farming. To have a president who is supposed to be progressive standing there with an industry representative of factory farming knowing about these environmental issues, it’s not very green to welcome him to the White House and endorse factory farms.’’
The surprisingly short history of presidential turkey pardons
PETA had not received any official response from the White House on Tuesday afternoon, and Newkirk said that in the past the usual response is that the organization has “been thanked for our concern.’’ That might be as good as it gets this year, considering that earlier on Tuesday, a Facebook poll was created by the White House that allows the public to vote on which turkey will be pardoned.
The letter also compared the situation of the turkeys to that of minorities, women and the gay and lesbian community.
"You understand so well that African-Americans, women, and members of the LGBT community have been poorly served throughout history, and now I am asking you to consider other living beings who are ridiculed, belittled, and treated as if their sentience, feelings, and very natures count for nothing," Newkirk wrote in the letter.
If it can’t bring the ceremony to an end, PETA would at least like it to be called something else.
“We want to change it from a pardon,’’ Newkirk said. “The bird has done nothing wrong, so it should be changed to something else more appropriate, like an ‘excusing,’ or a ‘liberating.’’’
Before Thanksgiving last year, PETA released an ad targeted toward children with a dog’s head Photoshopped on a turkey’s body next to the question “If you wouldn’t eat your dog, why eat a turkey?” PETA used the same ad campaign for this year’s Canadian Thanksgiving on Oct. 8.
Last year, PETA also sent a letter to the mayor of the tiny town of Turkey, Texas, requesting him to change the town’s name to “Tofurky’’ for Thanksgiving Day in exchange for PETA providing a vegan holiday meal for all the town’s residents. The request was rejected by the town’s officials.
“We’re just trying to provoke and create some argument and thought about it,’’ Newkirk said.
Earlier on Tuesday, Paul McCartney tweeted a photo of himself in a PETA ad wearing a shirt that says “Eat No Turkey” and the slogan of “Say No, Thanks to Turkey” that urges people to go vegetarian. Newkirk encourages people to eat tofurkey and other commercial products sold as alternatives to the traditional Thanksgiving turkey feast.
Given Obama’s past comments, there’s a good chance tofurkey will not be on the presidential plate this year.
"I'm told Presidents Eisenhower and Johnson actually ate their turkeys," Obama told reporters in 2009. "You can't fault them for that. That's a good-looking bird."
TODAY.com contributor Scott Stump once pardoned three turkeys crossing the road while he was driving 50 miles per hour.
More from TODAY:
PETA hounds kids not to eat turkey
How to deep fry your ENTIRE Thanksgiving dinner
How do Americans like their turkey? The results are in
Deep-frying a turkey without burning down the house
Leave a Comment:
Once again, thanks for the laughs PETA.
Thank god PETA exists-- in a world that grades on a curve. ;)
's all good#1.2 :pssst,pssst, Lots of people around the world eat dogs, and cats. During the "great Depression" many Americans ate dog. Additionally, many were butchered and sold to city dwellers. I wouldn't want to eat dog or cat. I have eaten Turkey but not real crazy about it. I hope you know Turkey is a hybrid bird obtained from the crossbreeding of various Guinea fowl and Buzzards, or Vultures.
I do believe PETA cares...but I also do believe that few others do... PETA needs to consider their stances...not that they ever do!!
PETA wants the President to stop pardoning the turkeys.
OK, next year we'll just kill the tasty critters, deep fry 'em and eat 'em up.
I'm gonna eat that turkey, Ingrid, and my family will wipe our greasy hands and mouths on towels made 100% out of baby lamb's wool. Wash it down with a big glass of whole milk, awesome. I will then put on my fur coat, go outside, smoke a cigarette, and proceed to do it all again for christmas.
An ‘excusing,’?
A ‘liberating.’?
Really pushing to find something to gripe about…
A dog’s head Photoshopped on a turkey’s body next to the question
“If you wouldn’t eat your dog, why eat a turkey?
Well if I knew Rover would roast up nicely and go well with cranberry sauce…never mind…
I have a big family so just how much stuffing would it take to do a Rottweiler?
If you are single and alone there is always a Chihuahua…
you know, when you think about it, there are a huge range of sizes available, one for every family size…it may work out better than the turkeys…now that would make Ben Franklin happy, the Turkey was his favorite bird…and this way you get four drum sticks…
they may be on to something…thanks PETA !!
Reminds me of the Dennis Leary jokes about only eating animals that aren't cute. Funny stuff.
It's truly amazing how far out of contact with reality PETA's become. Scary thought - he's actually SERIOUS!
I'm a member of PETA:
P eople
E ating
T asty
A nimals
Now where's my steak knife!!!
"It’s hard to find anybody who supports the idea of factory farming,"
Must have taken a poll at PETA.
PETA is a very hypocritical organization, considering their "pet rescue" operation has an 87% kill rate.
Until dog and cat overpopulation crisis is brought under control through spaying and neutering, we must prevent the suffering of unwanted animals in the most responsible and humane way possible. Euthanasia, performed properly, is often the most compassionate option.
Many of the animals that come to peta are are sick or critically injured. If you take in animals who are abused, neglected, unloved, or who no one
else will place or help, of course the euthanasia rate is going to be high.
That is why we must spay and nueter our companions and adopt never buy from a breeder or a puppy mill.
I smell a troll.
This is why we must Spay and Neuter members of PETA.
Although, Euthanasia, performed properly, is often the most compassionate option.
Why does the press even give credence to PETA?
LOTS of space to fill every day. Might as well throw in some jokes, no?
Terrorist Group PETA needs to shut the hell up.
Ingrid,PLEASE get a life!!
PETA - just shut up already!
PETA just needs to shut up already. Everytime I hear about PETA it just annoys me!
Lol is there no one else who finds this ceremony stupid to begin with? Even without PETA?
Granted its stupid... unless you compare it to a PETA reaction. They should take the bird to the stump instead. Chop!!! Like throwing out the first pitch. ;) That would probably help PETA's agenda more than this BS.
PETA takes it too far. I am a vegetarian, and I do not go around telling people what they can and cannot eat. I understand the organization's cause but it can be ridiculous. However, since the world's population is increasing, a meat and diary diet will be hard to sustain in the future. I am sure PETA cannot wait for that day.
Nice backhanded way to tell other people what they can and cannot eat.
So by then we will have developed beef and chicken vats to grown our meat in. And since it won't have a face, nobody will care.
Last time I checkked, I'm an OMNIVORE...That means I need both plants AND animals to sustain my existance. Plus, I'm at the top of the food chain. I don't understand why eating meat is now bad. I understood the fur thing-ee, especially when they were hunting animals JUST for the fur, but this is just stupid.
PETA needs to read "Life of PI" and realise meat is always on the menu. Even for vegans. I don't get vegans, either.
THIS!!! What the heck am I supposed to do with my front 12 teeth if I can't eat meat?!
So PETA doesn't want to save even one bird. PETA PETA pumpkin eater leave them animals alone lol
Oh, please. Animals eat other animals -- it's nature's way and humans are part of nature, like it or not. I offered my cat some lettuce and he just looked at me like I was nuts.
Why is it that every PETA comment is headline news on MSNBC?
“makes light of the mass slaughter of some 46 million gentle, intelligent birds” and “portrays the United States president as being in some sort of business partnership with the turkey-killing industry.”
And comments like that let the rest of the world make light of PETA.
Hahahahahahahahaha
Now go eat a twig you morons.
If the consider turkeys to be intelligent, the maybe this is just how they worship a higher life form.
46 million birds that would never have been born at all if there wasn't a turkey industry. Do they honestly think these animals would be fed and housed just for fun? All the domestic farm breeds would quickly become extinct if PETA had their way and these animals were no longer 'useful'.
Ingrid Newkirk has a point about inhumane treatment of turkeys at turkey farms.But the way she's making it turns people off and makes her look like a party pooper.
The Turkey Pardoning Ceremony should continue to be a fun Thanksgiving ceremony at the White House. PETA could request that The President make a few serious comments during the ceremony to educate the public about inhumane treatment of some turkeys and what can be done about it.
Newkirk could be much clearer about what she wants to accomplish.Is she saying that all turkeys raised on turkey farms are treated inhumanely of just some of them? If all of them, what does Newkirk suggest for Thanksgiving dinner that would be as good as turkey?
Try a different approach Ms. Newkirk.
The president should grab an ax, walk out to the garden, slaughter one bird and let the other go free. Then the family could later sit down to a meal with the bird they harvested for themselves. Much more symbolic of the first Thanksgiving that way. More entertaining as well.
*sigh*
Why oh why does PETA insist on complaining all the time?? And I am a VEGAN people!! I see the pardoning as showing people that the turkey is a real living thing - educating people that the bird that comes in that package was once this adorable creature. That said everyone has a right to live their lives how they choose and if PETA TRULY wants to make a difference they need to stop slapping people and focusing on who is being bad because all that does is piss people off (including me) and also just creates more ill will in the world and keeps what they do not want going strong! PETA - change your tune and start praising those who are treating animals with love and care and point those stories out to the world and then that story will grow and you will get far better results. Why can't they see this?? Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Cuz PETA is such an out-of-touch cult that they cant even conceive of how other people see them.
America to PETA: Bite me.
PETA said it hoped to stimulate discussion, but what it got here is an almost universal chorus of "I hate PETA." They are right that the ceremony makes no sense, given that a turkey is pardoned as a lead up to eating 46 million of them. Personally, I think that it would be much more appropriate to show the President chopping the head off the first turkey. That's what it is really all about. Personally, I don't eat meat, but everyone is free to make his own decision. I could list the reasons not to, but if past is prologue, that would lead to hundreds of comments saying you hate me and I am a moron, an idiot, and many other bad names.
No one hates you... They just don't care about your opinions.
also: PETA kills cats. They would rather kill strays than let them be adopted. They freeze them and stack them like cordwood.