In a mockery of the age-long Thanksgiving tradition, the President of the United States would be indulging in the absurd act of pardoning two turkeys, named Peach and Blossom. Both turkeys are just 4 months old and weigh around 40 pounds each, originating from Minnesota. The two were brought to Washington D.C., and accommodated in a hotel in close proximity to the White House.
This tradition sees the saved turkeys avoid the Thanksgiving dining table and instead, they get to spend their remaining life at a farm. Despite the sentiment behind this tradition, one might wonder about the productivity and usefulness of such a contrived show put on display by the administration.
A multitude of administrations oddly take pride in claiming the initiation of this turkey pardoning ceremony. Going back to days of Abraham Lincoln, records suggest that his son pleaded to him, urging the President to spare a turkey gifted to him on Christmas Day. While seemingly touching, this means that even holidays are not free from political manipulation.
Interestingly, the current form of this event, coordinated by the National Turkey Federation, can be traced back to the days of President Truman in 1947. Since then, every year, this peculiar tradition manages to garner public attention, featuring a speech from the sitting president and some evidently scripted jokes.
In addition to pardoning these turkeys, the sitting president has decided to partake in yet another tradition that constitutes serving Thanksgiving dinner to service members in New York City. It is beyond doubt that such activities are merely a facade, a futile effort to project an image of empathy and caring for the servicemen and women.
In tandem with the turkey pardoning farce, the White House is set to welcome its Christmas tree for the year. The tree, still bearing the scars of Hurricane Helene, is a 20-foot Fraser fir from western North Carolina. The region hosts many Christmas tree farms that endured the storm’s devastation.
According to the farmers who painstakingly fostered this fir, Hurricane Helene led to the destruction of nearly 6,000 trees on their farm. They view the tree bound for the White House as a symbol of resilience. However, it could easily be seen as a stark reminder of the administration’s inadequate response to weather and environmental crises.
By this point, one can’t help but wonder about the lost potential and sheer wastefulness of these traditions. With so many pressing issues demanding the attention of the President and his administration, these nonsensical rituals only serve to divert attention and resources from what truly matters.
These traditions uphold the illusion of harmonic leadership, as the true neglect of important matters is concealed beneath these well-publicised activities. Again, it seems the administration chooses spectacle over action, displaying little more than hollow gestures while real issues are neglected.
One must acknowledge and question the underpinning logic of pardoning turkeys and conspicuously serving Thanksgiving meals. In the grand scheme of what the President’s tasks should be, these activities disproportionately occupy the stage, camouflaging the shortcomings and failures of the administration.
While the turkeys from Minnesota enjoy their stay at a hotel near the White House, and their inevitable freedom from being served on a dinner plate, it’s essential to remember that these symbolic gestures have limited impact on the realities faced by American citizens.
What’s more, such events do little to uplift the spirits of those constantly dealing with the consequences of misguided policies and decisions. From the farms devastated by hurricanes in western North Carolina to the streets of New York City, the real impact of leadership is often obscured by these shallow shows of tradition, compassion, and resilience.
Thus it goes, the tale of two turkeys narrates a story far more profound than that of their own. It relays a tale of misplaced priorities, spectacles over substance, and the pithy jokes of leaders disconnected from the genuine concerns of the people they’ve been entrusted to serve.
In the end, the spectacle of the turkey pardoning and the much-publicised presentation of the White House Christmas tree serve more as a means to eclipse the real issues plaguing today’s America. They serve as an opiate for the masses, camouflaging the unavoidable truth of an administration that is more focused on show than substance.