ARKANSAS SHAME: Stop Dropping Turkeys from Airplanes

MORE DETAILS ON THIS BENIGHTED COMMUNITY (OF LESS THAN 150O INHABITANTS). Note the rather equivocal way this WIKI page on Yellville is written, probably by the local Chamber of Commerce. They cheerfully describe a rank form of cruelty as “an area attraction.” 

Area attractions (sic)

Turkey Trot

One of the longest traditions in Yellville is the annual Turkey Trot festival. Beginning in 1945 with the first turkey dropped from the roof of the Marion County Courthouse, the festival continues today. It is held every second weekend of October with the best-known attraction being live turkeys that are dropped from airplanes over the town square. October 2011 marked the 66th anniversary of this festival. The 1970s television show, WKRP in Cincinnati, parodied the turkey drop on one of their best-known episodes. Yellville and the Turkey Trot Festival were also included in the American supermarket tabloid The National Enquirer in 1989 with photographs of the festival and commentary on animal cruelty. Due to the bad press, the turkey drop ceased for a few years. The turkey drop resumed until 2011 when P.E.T.A. involved themselves by offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the so-called “Phantom Pilot.” This ruse was quickly subverted by the patrons of the festival as they voiced their support for the rapidly emerging “Folk Hero.” One patron publicly offered a $10,000 reward to anyone who could positively identify any of the undercover P.E.T.A members rumored to be in attendance. Said members did not make any appearances. The Turkey Trot festival also includes a Miss Turkey Trot Pageant, a Miss Drumsticks Competition (best legs), dinners, musical entertainment, a 5 kilometer run, a parade (which has included former Arkansas governor and former presidential candidate Mike Huckabee), and a nationally recognized turkey calling contest sponsored by the National Wild Turkey Federation.

COMMENT: It occurs to us that this infamous “Turkey Drop” is a variant of the equally repugnant idea of shooting animals in the wild “for fun.”

“Sport hunting,” a transparent euphemism, involves the use of animals as targets. Obviously inanimate targets could be used, but they are not half as “challenging” as the experience of killing a real live animal. Same here, except that since the moral imbecile(s) flying these planes would in reality love to get the thrill of dropping bombs, but. for obvious reasons, can’t do that while within the territory of the USA, they use hapless birds for  substitutes. Smart.
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