[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2001, Book II)]
[November 19, 2001]
[Pages 1422-1423]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks at the Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation Ceremony
November 19, 2001

    Thank you all. Please be seated. Good afternoon, and welcome to the 
White House. I'm not going to speak too long, because our guest of honor 
looks a little nervous. Nobody's told him yet that I'm going to give him 
a pardon.

[[Page 1423]]

    We're especially glad that so many of the young can come today. 
Thank you all for being here. In a few moments, you can come up and pet 
the turkey if you want to.
    Nick Weaver and Stuart Proctor of the National Turkey Foundation are here, and I 
want to thank you both for being here--honored you're here. Actually, 
you probably don't know this, but there were two turkeys brought to 
Washington for this occasion. By custom, an alternate is always on hand 
to fill in if needed.
    This one right here--his name is Liberty. And the other turkey, the 
alternate, his name is Freedom. Now, Freedom is not here because he's in 
a secure and undisclosed location. [Laughter]
    This White House tradition dates back to Abraham Lincoln. Probably 
what you don't know is that Abraham Lincoln had a son named Tad who kept 
a turkey as a pet. I thought about trying to keep the turkey as a pet, 
but I don't think the two dogs and the cat would like it.
    From our very beginnings, gratitude has been a part of our national 
character. Through the generations, our country has known its share of 
hardships. And we've been through some tough times, some testing moments 
during the last months. Yet, we've never lost sight of the blessings 
around us: the freedoms we enjoy, the people we love, and the many gifts 
of our prosperous land.
    On this holiday, we give thanks for our many blessings and for life 
itself. Thanksgiving reminds us that the greatest gifts don't come from 
the hands of man, but from the Maker of heaven and Earth.
    This week American families will gather in that spirit. We will 
remember, too, those who approach the holidays with a burden of sadness. 
We think especially of families that recently lost loved ones and of our 
men and women in the Armed Forces serving far away from home.
    This is a Nation of many faiths. And this holiday season we'll all 
be joined in prayer that those who mourn will find comfort, that those 
in dangers will find protection, and that God will continue to watch 
over the land we love.
    I now have the duty of ending the suspense of our feathery guest. 
For this turkey and his traveling companion, this will not be their last 
Thanksgiving. They will live out their days in comfort and care of 
Kidwell Farm of Herndon, Virginia. By virtue of an unconditional 
Presidential pardon, they are safe from harm.
    May God continue to bless America, and I hope everybody has a happy 
Thanksgiving. Thank you for coming. We'll go over and see the turkey.

Note: The President spoke at 1:48 p.m. in the Rose Garden at the White 
House. In his remarks, he referred to Nick Weaver, chairman, and Stuart 
Proctor, Jr., president, National Turkey Federation. The Thanksgiving 
Day proclamation of November 16 is listed in Appendix D at the end of 
this volume.