No Pardon for Tom the Turkey
A twenty-two-week-old turkey named Tom was put on display at the Minnesota State Capitol just days before Thanksgiving, in a mockery of the Presidential Turkey Pardon tradition. While the pardon is a symbolic gesture, Governor Tim Walz’s statement that “this turkey is not pardoned from its fate” highlights the grim reality faced by so many turkeys this time of year—regardless of any ceremonial gestures.
Tom, bred by Paisley VonBerge, a high school senior from Hutchinson, Minnesota, as part of the Future Farmers of America program, was destined to be slaughtered for her family’s consumption. “After today, this turkey will go back to my farm to be enjoyed the way turkeys were intended to be enjoyed,” VonBerge said, reinforcing the troubling view that animals like Tom are commodities to be used for human purposes.
Governor Walz’s dismissive attitude toward animal rights is evident in his treatment of his daughter Hope, a vegetarian. During a 2024 Minnesota State Fair interview, when Hope declined his suggestion to eat a corndog, he proposed eating a turkey instead. Again Hope rejected eating an animal and he dismissed her by saying, “Not in Minnesota. Turkey’s special.” This exchange reflects the broader disregard for animal rights among those in power.
Whether pardoned or slaughtered, these rituals of celebration and consumption fail to recognize the inherent value of sentient beings. Tom’s story serves as a stark reminder that behind every holiday tradition and meal, there is a life—one that is often treated as insignificant in the pursuit of human enjoyment.
