Paradox of the Poultry Pardon

"You can tell what a nation is like by the way it treats its turkeys"

 In just a few days, we will once again endure the annual spectacle of the President of the United States pardoning a turkey that would otherwise have been fated for the Thanksgiving table.  So this is a good time to ask why a nation that bemoans the bloated prison system and proclaims that "life is all about second chances" is--on the matter of clemency--one of the stingiest Presidents in the world?

Put another way: If a turkey deserves a second chance, why not America's Prisoners?

Which States/ Countries are part of the unique club that still have the death penalty?

1) How does the United States' rate of capital punishment compare to the rest of the world?

2) Is the death penalty 'Cruel and Unusual' punishment?

3) Which modern US President has given the most pardons?

4) If you were President who would you pardon? Why?

5) What can/ should be done to fix America's bloated prison system?

6) Which Presidents have given the most pardons?  The least?

7) Can a President Pardon himself?   Should he?   Why/Not?

Beg Your Pardon?!

Each year since 1947, the National Turkey Federation and the Poultry and Egg National Board have given a turkey to the President of the United States at a White House ceremony. Since then, presidents have been more likely to eat the turkey rather than give it a reprieve. A notable exception occurred in 1963, when President Kennedy, referring to the turkey given to him, said, "Let's just keep him." It wasn't until the first Thanksgiving of President George H.W. Bush, in 1989, that a turkey was officially pardoned for the first time.

For fifteen years through 2004, the turkeys were given to Kidwell Farm, a petting zoo at Frying Pan Park in Herndon, Virginia. The turkeys would receive a last minute pardon before arriving, and were then led to their new home at the Turkey Barn after enduring a turkey "roast" full of poultry humor and history.

In 2005 and 2006, however, Presdident George W. Bush continued his father's traditions but the turkeys were flown to Disneyland in California where they served as honorary grand marshals for Disneyland's Thanksgiving Day parade. After that, they spent the rest of their lives at a Disneyland ranch. A spot in sunny Disneyland seems immensely preferable to a place called Frying Pan Park.

Has President Biden kept this tradition ALIVE?

What is a real pardon and how is it used?

Can a President pardon himself?

Is the death penalty cruel and unusual punishment?

Want to pardon a turkey of your own? Click here.

Full Disclosure

In Chapter 9 Brooke proposed that reporters aren't supposed to make the world better.

Their job is to tell us what is going on, so WE can make it better...

Would you trust them more if you knew more about them?

Video conferencing is pulling back the curtain on our private lives, as our friends  & colleagues finally get a peek into our homes. Correspondent Mo Rocca talks with designer Jonathan Adler, fashion commentator Simon Doonan, and New York Times critic-at-large Amanda Hess about what Zoom is divulging about us.

1) What can we learn about our reporters and celebrities by 'peeking' into their living rooms and offices?

2) Do you trust them more or less? Why?

3) What is in your 'Zoom' background and what does it 'disclose' about you?

Who Do You Trust?

1) Who do you trust the most?  Friends? Family? Yourself?

2) What conclusions can we draw from this chart?  Who ranked high/ low?

3) When was this survey taken?  Have the numbers changed? Why/not?

4) Can polls and pollsters be trusted? Why/not?

5) Should we trust our first impressions about a person?

6) Who is the most trusted person in America? Do you agree?  Why/  not?

And Thats the Way It Was...

A pioneer broadcast journalist who began his distinguished career as a wire service reporter, Cronkite was a longtime champion of journalism values who was often referred to as the most trusted man in America.

By the mid-1950s more than half the nation's living rooms have a TV set, which serves as a kind of national mirror.  It reflects a populace that is white, Christian, and middle-class.  It has no accent.  It defines normal. It defines America.

When Walter Cronkite ends his CBS newscast with his rock-solid assertion, 'And that's the way it is,' it's a sweet finish to his nightly suppertime slice of reality.  Facts, unseasoned and served deadpan. (Gladstone, pg. 103)

Watch the interview and then answer these questions:

1) What event that Walter Cronkite reported do you think was the most significant? Why?

2) After listening to 'Uncle Walt' why do you think America found him so trustworthy?

3) How has reporting changed since the 'Golden Age of Objectivity?'

4) Do you think there will ever be a reporter as trusted as Walter Cronkite? If so who? If not why?

5) Cronkite's famous tagline: 'and that's the way it is' was legendary. If you were a national news anchor what would your tagline be? Explain.

The Golden Age of Objectivity

 If the highest law of journalism is 'to the tell the Truth  and shame the devil'  then the  Golden Age of Objectivity was the 1950s.  The 1951 government film 'Duck and Cover' advised on what to do if the see the flash of a nuclear bomb.  Fear of Communism and the threat of atomic war moved us into the 'donut hole' of consensus.

Historian Daniel Hallin uses donuts as a metaphor for the news. (Hallin, 2010) The donut hole is the ‘sphere of consensus;’ unquestionable values and unchallengeable truths. The donut itself is ‘legitimate controversy.’ This is the literal ‘sweet spot’ where undecided issues can be debated and discussed. Outside the donut is the ‘sphere of deviance’ reserved for opinions outside the mainstream of society.

Veterans Day

Dear US Service Member,

We don’t know each other and will probably never meet, but I want you to know that you and all of the troops are in our hearts and prayers each day. Please remember what you're doing will always be appreciated and never forgotten. I wish you all the best and pray for your safe and speedy return home to your family and friends. Thank you.

Talawanda HS Student

Oxford, OH

Some of our soldiers don't get much mail from home. They don't often hear how much we appreciate all they do for our country, even though there are many easy ways in which we can let them know. Write your letters of thanks in class and we will compile and send them to our soldiers currently serving overseas.

Objectivity pt. 1

Objectivity emerged as a selling point in American Journalism when the price of a newspaper dropped to a penny.  In 1833 The New York Sun slashed the price of their paper to multiply readership and increase advertising.  Profits soared.

Yet all around their was a grinding, dehumanizing poverty reflected in the eyes of these 'newsies' selling papers on city streets.  Before WWI people viewed the world as being cruel but rich with opportunity.  Horatio Alger novels told stories of how the humblest orphans could ascend into the middle class through hard work.

This view changed following the war.  As damaged soldiers returned home with stories and the hideous and meaningless death of millions of young men a deep cynicism sets in and 'Dadaism' is born.  Its basic philosophy:  everything is meaningless.

Electoral College

 

The final New York Times/Siena College polls, released yesterday, showed a virtually tied race. Kamala Harris is clearly favored in states that account for 226 electoral votes, while Donald Trump is favored in states that account for 219. To win, Harris will likely need at least 44 combined electoral votes from the seven battleground states, while he will likely need 51. But surprises remain possible. A highly regarded Iowa poll, for example, shocked many political analysts over the weekend by showing Harris ahead there — a potential sign of her strength with white voters. Alaska is another state where she has a small chance for a big upset. Trump could pull off his own surprises in New Mexico or New Hampshire.

You can explore all of the combinations through this map.

1) What is the best path to the White House for each candidate?

2) Which candidate benefits most from the Electoral College? Why?

3) How does the current map compare to past Presidential elections?

4) Why don't we just go by the popular vote?

5) Do you think the Electoral College is the best system for choosing our President? Why/ not?

6) What would you do to change the Electoral College if anything?