004. Is It November Already?

    Being an American means something very complicated yet is wholly understood by most. It means being a part of a diverse nation of different people from (literally) all walks of life. It means taking part in "American values and traditions", which is an obvious loaded phrase. It means that the "holidays", as they're so delightfully called by retailers and companies alike, are something to look forward to and enjoy. At the end of Eating Animals, Jonathan Safran Foer plants the seed of doubt regarding whether or not, as a nation, we should be huddling around a turkey on Thanksgiving Day. Yes, we should huddle around that factory farming-produced bird that kids, adults and grandparents alike anticipate the first bite of.

    It's American tradition - whether it has anything to do with the actual "pilgrim Thanksgiving" or not. It's been there since before any of us were here, and it'll stand being a tradition until we as a nation move past it and onto the next new Thanksgiving centerpiece. The turkey is not only the thing we eat at dinner, it's the self-proclaimed "mascot" of Thanksgiving. We have Santa Claus for Christmas, the Easter Bunny for Easter, and we've even assigned New York City the mascot duties for New Year's Eve. If we stop eating turkey at dinner on the fourth Thursday in November for the rest of eternity, what should we tell children in school to draw when the leaves start to fall and the colors on the hills turn from green to brownish orange? There's so much more to turkey than just the bird that we spend all day basting and cooking. There are children, adults, families and entire communities that look forward to the turkey's homecoming in November. We can't take that away from them - not now.

    Sure, maybe it's a little facetious to say that we can't let this bird go, but it's also important to note that even though it's a meat, turkey is considered among many to be the leanest meat. There's nutritional benefits to eating turkey versus going without it, and there's so much socio-economical issues at stake with removing turkey from dinner on that fateful Thursday. Companies (yes, those devilish factory farms) and retailers rely on these dollars to get through November of every year. With Wall Street's increasingly high expectations for companies, it should come as no surprise that retailers push and push for bigger and more expensive turkeys to sell every year to big and hungry families. But is it really so wrong?

    American tradition is something so deep-rooted in our history, it's nearly impossible to change. So maybe we can't change tradition but we can surely motivate and instill change gradually. Foer presents good points but what if we attempt to promote organic turkeys that are certified free range and hormone-free? Will that be better? How much will it cost? There's so many questions and not enough answers. When push comes to shove, as a nation, we might just stick to the tried and true method of enjoying that last Thursday in November. I'll see you guys huddled around the turkey this November, and don't worry - I'll cut the first few slabs off for you.