Barack Obama has risen from humble beginnings to the power of the presidency. But, every one of us has the presidential power to pardon a turkey on Thanksgiving. In fact, here are some reasons to skip the turkey this Thanksgiving:

You are what you eat. Who wants to be a butterball? You won’t have to call Poultry Hotline to keep your family alive. You won’t sweat the environment and food resources devastation guilt trip. You won’t spend a sleepless night wondering how the turkey lived and died. Your body will appreciate a holiday from saturated fat, cholesterol, and hormones.

My family’s Thanksgiving dinner will include a tofurky, lentil roast, mashed potatoes, corn stuffing, stuffed squash, chestnut soup, candied yams, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie and carrot cake. An Internet search on vegetarian Thanksgiving got us lots of recipes and other information.

Buck Johnston

Bangor