President Barack Obama will get a break from the controversy about Obamacare when he pardons the traditional Thanksgiving turkey. Each of us also can set aside our cares by pardoning a turkey and choosing a nonviolent Thanksgiving observance — one that gives thanks for our good fortune, health and happiness with a life-affirming, cruelty-free feast of vegetables, fruits and grains.

And here are more terrific reasons:

• You will stay alert through the entire football game.

• You are what you eat. Who wants to be a “butterball”?

• Your vegetarian kid won’t have to boycott the family dinner.

• You won’t have to call the Poultry Hotline to keep your family alive.

• Fruits and vegetables don’t have to carry government warning labels.

• 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 welcome a holiday from saturated fat, cholesterol and hormones.

Our own dinner this Thanksgiving, will feature a “tofurky,” lentil roast, mashed potatoes, corn stuffing, stuffed squash, candied yams, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie. An Internet search for “vegetarian Thanksgiving” got us more recipes and other useful information than we could possibly use.

Wes MuirlandWaterville

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