Pictorial history of the Presidential turkey pardon

President Harry S. Truman seems to have been the first President to issue a pardon to a Thanksgiving turkey, in 1947.  All subsequent Presidents have carried on the tradition.

Click all images to enlarge. . .

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Governor Crist plans Jim Morrison pardon--Morrison tells how his penis ended up where it did

By Jack Brummet
Social Mores Editor

As you have probably heard, the outgoing Florida Governor, Charlie Crist, just announced that he will pardon Jim Morrison, who died 40 years ago.  Morrison was convicted of exposing himself at a raucous 1969 Doors concert in Miami.  Here is a photo of him holding a lamb at that concert.  It got far crazier after the lamb.

Everyone I've read seems to think Jim attempted to expose himself during the Miami show, but was probably prevented from doing so by band members and handlers, and--maybe--never really intended to go all the way.  He was charged with exposing his penis to the crowd, and with a felony morals charge.  He could have been imprisoned for 7 years in that notorious Florida hell-hole, Raiford Prison.  For some reason, rock critics and historians believe he did not expose himself as charged. After he was sentenced to sx months in prison, he moved to Paris, I think pending appeals, and died not long after that. 

Maybe he did.  Maybe he didn't.  In No One Here Gets Out Alive (1980, by Danny Sugerman and Jerry Hopkins), you can read The Lizard King's version of the story.  The authors write about one night Morrison was out drinking with a group of friends.  His friend Tom Baker started hectoring him about Miami. This is an excerpt from the book. I've always loved this story.

"You’re a pussy, Morrison," said Tom, baiting his friend. "You’re a ******* no-count pussy."

 Jim ignored the taunt. Frank and Babe stared into their drinks.


"Tell us now, Mr. Jim Morrison, rock star," Tom went on, a voice that traveled the length of the bar, "tell us what happened in Miami."

It was a tiresome subject for Jim. He glared at Tom, took another swallow from his drink.


"Come on, Jim, tell us once and for all."


"Yes," said Jim quietly, "I did it."

"Did what, Jim?" Tom’s voice was strident, triumphant.

"I showed my **** ."


"Why, Jim? When I showed mine in my movie, you said it wasn’t art."

"Well," Jim said in a low voice so everyone present had to strain to hear him, "I wanted to see what it looked like in the spotlight."

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