A Pig's Tale: Hog Named Six Seven Spared by Miami Dade County Mayor.
While perhaps not at the same level as pardoning holiday birds, but the county's top official conducted a ceremonial pardon event this week by ritually sparing the life of a swine named Six Seven.
Daniella Levine Cava performed the seasonal stunt at the Cuban-style Latin Cafe 2000 in the core of Miami’s iconic Little Havana neighborhood.
“This animal is guiltless. She deserves this act of mercy. No offenses are on her docket,” stated the mayor in a speech with clear references to the extraordinary and sizable number of executive clemencies issued since the onset of a second term in office.
“Except perhaps for eating 6 or 7 apples per day,” she went on. “Let this swine have a lengthy and joyful existence away from worry.”
The gathering, either celebrating or rejecting the region’s Hispanic tradition of consuming swine during the holidays, was founded to mirror the traditional fowl clemency at the White House.
The pig, provided by a first responder, was given its name from the current slang trend of young people yelling “six seven” – deriving from a rap song lyric – often for no discernable reason. The trend became so ubiquitous that a major dictionary recently made “six-seven” its top term for the year.
A New Life
The pardoned swine is now scheduled to spend its days at a countryside refuge “far from charcoal and roasting pans”, according to the ceremony's official statement.
“The annual pig pardon has become one of our favorite ways to begin the holiday season,” said the event host, in a notably cheerful message.
“It embodies the essence of Miami: joyful, multicultural, and based in heritage that bring people together. Annually, we are honored to observe heritage and mercy in a way distinctively Miamian.”
Guests enjoyed a meat-free selection of spinach croquetas and strong coffee as they marked the swine's new lease on life.
