On Monday, November 26, Biden came out for the fourth time to pardon two turkeys, “Peach” and “Blossom,” from being slaughtered for Thanksgiving dinner. The act of pardoning a turkey is a seemingly light-hearted tradition, but it encapsulates the empty gestures of politicians. Biden has the power to pardon the 40 people currently on federal death row or the thousands of others who are incarcerated for crimes that are no longer illegal. But Biden chooses not to do that. So far he has pardoned eight turkeys and zero people on federal death row. And while the two turkeys who have been pardoned will survive for now, this White House ritual trivializes the fact that an estimated 46 million turkeys will be eaten on Thanksgiving Day. The pardoning of turkeys is treated with silly fanfare, but is a reminder that the U.S. president may use his power to pardon two turkeys, but not the thousands of humans who are unjustly incarcerated.
