The Porcine Pardon: Hog Named Six Seven Spared by Miami-Dade Mayor.
Although not quite at the same level as granting clemency to festive fowl, but the county's top official experienced a ceremonial pardon event this week by ceremoniously saving the life of a pig named Six Seven.
Daniella Levine Cava performed the seasonal stunt at the Cuban-style Latin Cafe 2000 in the center of Miami’s iconic Little Havana neighborhood.
“The swine has done no wrong. She is worthy of this pardon. Her criminal record is spotless,” Levine Cava said in a speech with inescapable allusions to the vast quantity of pardons issued since the commencement of a second term in office.
“If we disregard eating half a dozen apples per day,” the mayor added. “May this pig enjoy a lengthy and joyful existence away from worry.”
The event, which both honors and questions the region’s Hispanic tradition of feasting on pork during the holidays, was created to emulate the yearly bird sparing at the White House.
The animal, contributed by a first responder, was named for the modern linguistic fad of young people exclaiming “six seven” – deriving from a rap song lyric – often for no discernable reason. The craze became so pervasive that a leading lexicon site recently named “six-seven” its top term for the year.
A Future Secured
This particular pig is now destined to live out its days at a rural sanctuary “away from grills and cookware”, according to the ceremony's official statement.
“The pig pardon has become a cherished method to kick off the festive period,” said Eric Castellanos, in a decidedly positive message.
“It embodies the spirit of Miami: joyful, varied, and based in heritage that unite the community. Each year, we are proud to celebrate tradition and kindness in a way only Miami can.”
Attendees enjoyed a vegetarian menu of croquettes and Cuban coffee as they toasted the pig's pardon.
