Turkey pardons, PETA, and Unturkey’s sad demise

Yes, there's a lot to be thankful for on this day before Thanksgiving. But cruelty to animals isn't one of them.

A few nights ago we watched HBO's "I Am an Animal: The Story of Ingrid Newkirk and PETA." It showed many disturbing scenes, including what goes on in a turkey slaughterhouse.

Believe me, if you watched that secretly-filmed footage before you sat down to devour your "bird" tomorrow, most likely you wouldn't have an appetite.

Don't believe me. Watch on a PETA web site. Or on the viewer below.

Here's another disturbing video of how turkeys arrive on dinner tables.

President Bush recently engaged in the annual bizarre ritual of pardoning a turkey. This must reflect some deep-seated understanding in the American psyche that these animals haven't done anything to deserve how they're treated.

The HBO special showed a turkey that escaped from a slaughterhouse and was saved by the undercover worker put there by PETA to document animal atrocities.

PETA's president and co-founder, Ingrid Newkirk, took good care of it. Now that's a real pardon.

Bill Maher calls on George Bush to pardon all of the turkeys.

"New Rule: The president can't pardon just one or two turkeys this Thanksgiving. He's got to let them all go. It's probably too much to expect from the man who wanted "no child left behind," then vetoed health care for kids.

But think of the upside. Freeing the turkeys might help the president's credibility when he says things like, 'We don't torture.'

…The Butterball plant in the video slaughters about 50,000 turkeys every day. Fifty million turkey corpses will go into American ovens this Thanksgiving. More than 9 billion turkeys and chickens are killed in the U.S. each year. But not one of them is guaranteed a painless death."

Maher asks people to eat something else for Thanksgiving. Not someone else, because killing a cow, chicken, or pig wouldn't be any better than killing a turkey.

We're going to put a tofu turkey in the oven tomorrow. It'll taste great, though not as good as the dearly missed Now & Zen Unturkey, which flew the coop last year.

That was sad. I loved the Unturkey. It kicked Tofurky's butt.

The Unturkey recipe has been posted by a site dedicated to "open sourcing" this marvelous vegetarian alternative to a flesh and blood gobbler. But there's no way my wife or I would have the time or skill to make an Unturkey from scratch.

So we'll be eating a Tofurky feast after mourning the demise of the Unturkey. We'll be getting just about as much protein as if we'd eaten an animal, minus the 85 mg of cholesterol in every four ounces of real turkey.

Karma always has the last word. All those turkeys that were killed to please people's palates will be working away in American bloodstreams soon – heart attacks, they'll be a' coming.

And deserved.

Comments

[Amadeus]

This is the first time seeing the PETA Turkey video. It is truely sickening the way animals are treated.

I eat ayurvedically, mostly dals and vegetables. The turkey thing is really hard for the family to overcome. Seems Thanksgiving + Turkey = Happiness

I will not be eating Turkey. Not sure I will do the Tofurkey. I know others would cringe at the thought. I have come up with some creative dishes within my Dosha that I will be bringing for those that choose to be cruelty free.

On a side note, Quorn (www.quorn.com) makes some tofu-free type poultry cutlets and roasts. They taste really good. And, for those that can't tolerate tofu, it is a great alternative.

Peace, Joy and Happy Holidays!!!

~Amadeus

[Eric]

This Thanksgiving I had a Cworn Roast. Did I spell that right? Anyway, I like Tofurkey, but I also enjoy the Roast as a great and delicious alternative.
And I now like Bill Maher even more! He's cool!