Thursday, November 18, 2021
Political Mayhem Thursday: Ugh-- another turkey pardon
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday-- I love almost everything about it: the food, the family gatherings, the weather, the way it evades commercialism, and mostly the sentiment at its heart. Recently, I heard my friend Susan Stabile give a great talk about gratitude, and it made me look forward to Thanksgiving even more.
The is one part of the holiday I absolutely can't stand-- the Presidential Turkey Pardon. I mean... here is a whole lighthearted event about something I care about and think is tragic in its dysfunction. It's like having a Drone Strike Christmas Event at the White House.
Every year (often with my friend and NYU Prof. Rachel Barkow), I write some kind of objection to the whole thing. Over the years, they have appeared in the Washington Post, CNN. com, the Dallas Morning News, and other outlets. This year, Rachel and I sent our diatribe to The Hill, and you can read it here. Please do! It breaks down an underlying problem with how clemency is not working under President Biden. I will also have a second screed on the same topic (but a different focus) later in the week in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.
