PETA has tried pretty much everything to end the annual White House pardoning of Thanksgiving turkeys.
So, as summer turns to fall and plans begin for the presidential pardoning in November, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is turning to President Joe Biden’s roots and heart to end the practice.
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PETA President Ingrid Newkirk is suggesting in a letter on Wednesday to the White House that the president pick another holiday favorite, the humble potato, to pardon.
“Instead of promoting the harmful factory farming of turkeys, would you please initiate the Great American Potato Pardon, a ceremony that would also celebrate your Irish heritage?” she asked in the letter shared with Secrets.
“Our suggestion is certainly not half-baked: At a time when the United Nations is calling for a global shift to take the meat out of the old ‘meat-and-potatoes’ diet so as to combat the worst effects of climate change and other forms of environmental damage, it makes sense to support America’s heroes: potato farmers,” she added.
Former President John F. Kennedy began the pardoning practice in 1963 when he sent a turkey wearing a tag that read “Good eating, Mr. President,” back to the farm. In recent years, presidents have pardoned the main Thanksgiving bird and its stand-in. Typically, they go to a petting zoo and live less than a year.
PETA seized on the holiday because the presidential pardon birds were identified this week. Minnesota-based Jennie-O Turkey Store, a subsidiary of Hormel Foods, plans to send the two birds to the White House for the pardoning. The firm said the birds were hatched last month.
Newkirk’s letter is below:
August 30, 2023
Dear Mr. President:
I’m writing on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and our millions of members and supporters with a suggestion for an appealing new Thanksgiving tradition—one that would truly be inclusive and welcomed by everyone who doesn’t eat meat for religious, cultural, or environmental reasons or because they object to the way animals are raised and killed. Instead of promoting the harmful factory farming of turkeys, would you please initiate the Great American Potato Pardon, a ceremony that would also celebrate your Irish heritage?
Our suggestion is certainly not half-baked: At a time when the United Nations is calling for a global shift to take the meat out of the old “meat-and-potatoes” diet so as to combat the worst effects of climate change and other forms of environmental damage, it makes sense to support America’s heroes: potato farmers. Unlike turkey flesh, potatoes are naturally fat- and cholesterol-free. They’re rich in iron, potassium, and protein and a good source of vitamin C, and eating them can reduce a person’s risk of suffering from high blood pressure and strokes.
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Turkeys are wise, complex individuals who nurture their young, but the way they’re treated on factory farms would turn anyone’s stomach. We’ve recorded turkeys being kicked, choked, and sexually abused. Before they end up as the centerpiece on a table, they’re slammed upside down into shackles while still conscious and dragged through an electrified stun bath before their throats are slit, often while they’re still able to feel pain.
Traditions constantly change because of new information, and now would be a smashing time to introduce the Great American Potato Pardon. Potatoes are a wholesome all-American food, cultivated here for thousands of years, and they’re the most popular vegetable in the country. Thank you for your consideration. We look forward to hearing from you.
Very truly yours,
Ingrid Newkirk
President
