(C) Daily Kos
This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered.
. . . . . . . . . .
Censorship: Coming to a National Park near you? [1]
['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']
Date: 2025-06-18
www.govexec.com/…
The Thrump reign has recently begun posting signs at our national parks asking visitors to identify signage that “that negatively discussed America’s past or present and launched a process for federal agencies to remove, cover or replace flagged materials”.
The new request at NPS and other Interior Department sites followed an executive order from President Trump dubbed “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History” that called for federal lands to remove information that could “improperly minimize or disparage certain historical figures or events.” That in turn led to an order from Interior Secretary Doug Burgum that department staff solicit public feedback to flag “any signs or other information that are negative about either past or living Americans or that fail to emphasize the beauty, grandeur, and abundance of landscapes and other natural features.” The reviews should include exhibits, brochures, films, waysides and signs, the secretary said.
So far, about 200 responses have been received by the National Park Service (NPS). Instead of providing examples of language that could “improperly minimize or disparage certain historical figures or events”, visitors have instead “implored the administration not to erase U.S. history and praised agency staff for improving their experiences.”
For each comment, staff can either mark it as received but not requiring action, requiring action but not related to the signage issue or flagged for review by NPS leadership in Washington. Parks will receive follow up information in August. In the meantime, NPS said, the agency’s Harpers Ferry Center is currently “developing standard protocols and templates to assist with expedited removal, covering, or temporary replacement of any media that does not comply with” Burgum's order. It added a “long-term plan for permanent replacement is also under development for affected media.”
As of now, the NPS is not receiving the help that Thrump and Burgum were hoping for. Instead, visitors are accusing the Thrump administration of seeking to erase and rewrite American history.
Park materials should “focus on the greatness of the achievements and progress of the American people or, with respect to natural features, the beauty, abundance, and grandeur of the American landscape,” Trump said.
A visitor to Independence Hall, in Philadelphia called the new signs,” censorship, dressed up as customer service”; and added, “Putting up signs like that doesn't protect anyone, [it] just tells visitors that the truth is a problem,” the visitor said. “And I can't think of anything more offensive than that.”
As Orwell said:
”Who controls the past, controls the future”.
[END]
---
[1] Url:
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/6/18/2328848/-Censorship-Coming-to-a-National-Park-near-you?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=trending&pm_medium=web
Published and (C) by Daily Kos
Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified.
via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds:
gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/
