ປະທານາທິບໍດີ ໂຈ ໄບເດັນ ໄດ້ໃຊ້ເວລາສ່ວນນຶ່ງຂອງວັນເກີດຄົບຮອບ 81 ປີຂອງທ່ານໃນການປະຕິບັດປະເພນີຂອງທຳນຽບຂາວເພື່ອໃຫ້ອະໄພຍະໂທດຕໍ່ໄກ່ງວງວັນຂອບຄຸນພະເຈົ້າ ຫຼື Thanksgiving ອີງຕາມລາຍງານອົງການຂ່າວເອພີ. ໄກ່ງວງຊື່ວ່າ ລິເບີຕີ ແລະ ແບລ໌ ໄດ້ຮັບຄວາມເມດຕາກະລຸນາຈາກປະທານາທິບໍດີໃນວັນຈັນວານນີ້ຢູ່ພິທີຂອງທຳນຽບຂາວ. ທ່ານ ໄບເດັນ ໄດ້ກ່າວເຖິງອາຍຸຂອງທ່ານ ແລະ ໄດ້ເວົ້າຕະຫຼົກວ່າ ທ່ານບໍ່ໄດ້ເຂົ້າຮ່ວມງານດັ່ງກ່າວນີ້ທີ່ຖືກຈັດຂຶ້ນຄັ້ງທຳອິດເມື່ອ 76 ປີທີ່ຜ່ານມາ. ໄກ່ງວງອາຍຸ 20 ອາທິດ, ໜັກ 19 ກິໂລໄດ້ເບາະອອກມາ ແລະ ຖືກລ້ຽງຢູ່ເມືອງ ວິລມາ, ລັດ ມິນເນໂຊຕ້າ, ໂດຍບໍລິສັດໄກ່ງວງ Jeany-O ສຳລັບກາລະໂອກາດດັ່ງກ່າວ.
ພິທີໃຫ້ອະໄພຍາໂທດໄກ່ງວງ ເປັນຂີດໝາຍຂອງການເລີ່ມຕົ້ນລະດູວັນພັກໃນນະຄອນຫຼວງ ວໍຊິງຕັນ. ພ້ອມກັນນັ້ນໃນວັນຈັນວານນີ້, ທ່ານນາງ ຈິລ ໄບເດັນ ກໍໄດ້ຕ້ອນຮັບເອົາຕົ້ນ ເຟຣສເຊີ ເຟີ (Frazer Fir) ຈາກລັດ ຄາໂຣໄລນາເໜືອ ເປັນຕົ້ນຄຣິສມາສຢ່າງເປັນທາງການຂອງທຳນຽບຂາວ.
“I hereby pardon Liberty and Bell,” said Biden, as the male turkey fanned its tail. And, with that, the two birds were given the long-held tradition of a long life, just days prior to the American holiday that features a roasted turkey as its centerpiece.
Turkeys on leashes at the White House
In 1989, then President George H.W. Bush promised a crowd of children and reporters that the 23 kg (50lb) turkey donated to the White House would not be eaten.
President Bush was the first to make the pardon an annual action, but not the first to show mercy for a bird. The son of President Abraham Lincoln treated the turkey like a dog, leading him around on a leash inside the White House. Ultimately, President Lincoln granted the turkey clemency.
The act of donating a turkey (or a gaggle of gobblers) dates to the 1800s and embraces the nation’s heritage of farmland. For the past month, Biden has traveled to rural America, announcing $5 billion in investments.
“We’re restoring hope and opportunity so family farms can stay in the family,” proclaimed Biden at Monday’s event, “and children don’t have to leave home if they wish to stay and make a living on the farm.”
Biden told the crowd that the birds love the Minnesota favorites, including Honeycrisp apples, ice hockey, a thousand lakes and the Mall of America.
Happy 81st birthday
President Biden’s 81st birthday coincided with the holiday event. He evoked laughter when he told the crowd, “I just want you to know, it’s difficult turning 60.” The president’s age has been raised by opponents and analysts as he seeks a second term. During his speech Monday, Biden confused Britney Spears with Taylor Swift when referencing Swift’s Eras tour in Brazil.
The president plans to celebrate his birthday with family this weekend in Nantucket.
The birds will live on as agriculture models at the University of Minnesota. Having been named after the Liberty Bell, the symbol of independence in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the president said his pardon gave the turkeys “a new appreciation for the words, ‘Let freedom ring.’”
