Illustrating what a rolling disaster the Biden administration is, the executive-branch-controlled National Park Service decided it'd be a great idea to remove the William Penn statue that stands on the grounds of the founder of Pennsylvania's historic home.
Why? Because "equity and inclusion," of course. You see, "Welcome Park," the site of Penn's historic home, didn't give enough representation to Native Americans, and the federal government decided the best course of action would be to remove his statue completely and turn the place into a woke shrine.
No doubt, the fact that Penn owned slaves was also a major factor in trying to erase his existence from a park that formerly existed to commemorate his life. It doesn't matter that Penn's legacy was one of religious freedom and being a pioneer in establishing fundamental liberties. Modern intersectionality demands that historical figures be judged with all the accrued knowledge of the modern era. That means no period context is allowed to be applied.
Thanks to the wonders of the internet, the news of the William Penn statue's removal spread quickly, and the backlash was swift. Even the Democrat governor of Pennsylvania, Josh Shapiro, stepped up to oppose the plan put forth by the National Park Service.
The result? The feds have folded like a cheap suit.
The review of the new design proposal for Welcome Park has been withdrawn. No changes to the William Penn statue are planned. For more info, please visit: https://t.co/XWk0zPbEvl. pic.twitter.com/Ly0aooxXcx
— IndependenceNPS 🇺🇸 (@INDEPENDENCENHP) January 8, 2024
Independence National Historical Park has withdrawn the review of a draft proposal to rehabilitate Welcome Park and closed the public comment period. The preliminary draft proposal, which was released prematurely and had not been subject to a complete internal agency review, is being retracted. No changes to the William Penn statue are planned.
The caveat here is that the National Park Service is keeping the door open by resuming deliberations internally, pledging to open a new public comment section on possible renovations to the park sometime in the future. With that said, when you read the language in the statement, it's pretty clear this is a full-scale retreat. If there is a resurrection of plans to change the park, they are very likely to include keeping the William Penn statue in place.
Leave it to the government to screw something up this badly. If they wanted to update the park, all they had to do was add some new technology and exhibits while keeping the centerpiece of the park standing. What genius thought it would pass muster with most of the public to remove Penn's statue given the park is named after the ship he came to Philadelphia on?
All of this is so tiring. There is no reason to turn every national park into a commentary on whatever atrocities were committed at the time. We all get it. The United States hasn't been perfect, but sometimes, people just want to see something cool and enjoy the outdoors. If the National Park Service wants to add a Native American exhibit, go ahead, but to try to destroy the entire identity of the park was an asinine idea.
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