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WASHINGTON — President Obama pardoned his first turkey on Wednesday, ensuring that Courage and his mate, Carolina, won't end up as someone's Thanksgiving dinner.
Turkey pardoning may be the tradition but its a fairly new one. President George H.W. Bush was the first president to officially pardon a turkey back in 1989, although President Kennedy reportedly decided to save the life of one only days before his own was taken.
The birds have been presented to presidents by the National Turkey Federation and the Poultry and Egg National Board since 1947, usually ending up on the dinner table before President Bush put a stop to it. The tradition continued through his successors Bill Clinton and his son George W. Bush.
For most of that time, the pardoned bird and its alternate were shipped off to the unfortunately named Frying Pan Park in Herndon, Va., where they reside at a petting zoo. Beginning in 2005, the birds have flown to Disneyland (presumably not on their own) to be grand marshals in its Thanksgiving Day parade and live out their lives at its California ranch.
Obama pardoned Courage and Carolina with the help of daughters Sasha and Malia. Before sending the birds to a life of "peace and tranquility" in Disneyland, he expressed his gratitude for life's blessings, and reminded Americans that Thanksgiving is also a time to think of those less fortunate:
When my family and I sit around the table tomorrow, just like millions of other families across America, we'll take time to give our thanks for many blessings. But we'll also remember this is a time when so many members of our American family are hurting. There's no question this has been a tough year for America. We're at war. Our economy is emerging from an extraordinary recession into recovery. But there's a long way to go and a lot of work to do.
The White House new media office did an amusing preview of the pardoning, narrated by Ben LaBolt.
In more tranquil times, it's easy to notice our many blessings. It's even easier to take them for granted. But in times like these, they resonate a bit more powerfully. When President Lincoln set aside the National Day of Thanksgiving for the first time - to celebrate America's "fruitful fields," "healthful skies," and the "strength and vigor" of the American people — it was in the midst of the Civil War, just when the future of our very union was most in doubt. So think about that. When times were darkest, President Lincoln understood that our American blessings shined brighter than ever.
This is an era of new perils and new hardships. But we are, as ever, a people of endless compassion, boundless ingenuity, limitless strength. We're the heirs to a hard-earned history and stewards of a land of God-given beauty. We are Americans. And for all this, we give our humble thanks — to our predecessors, to one another, and to God.
So on this quintessentially American holiday, as we give thanks for what we've got, let's also give back to those who are less fortunate. As we give thanks for our loved ones, let us remember those who can't be with us. And as we give thanks for our security, let's in turn thank those who've sacrificed to make it possible, wherever they may be.
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