More Outrageous Censorship

One of the sure signs of fascism is government censorship, and it's not just happening with respect to climate science. Here's what the Trump fascism is doing (free link to NY Times article):

At Cape Hatteras National Seashore in North Carolina, the Trump administration is set to review, and possibly remove or alter, signs about how climate change is causing sea levels to rise.

At Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, the administration will soon decide whether to take down exhibits on the brutality of slavery.

And at Castillo de San Marcos National Monument in Florida, Trump officials are scrutinizing language about the imprisonment of Native Americans inside the Spanish stone fortress.

Why?

In an executive order in March, the president instructed the Park Service to review plaques, films and other materials presented to visitors at 433 sites around the country, with the aim of ensuring they emphasize the “progress of the American people” and the “grandeur of the American landscape.

I find this exceptionally outrageous. It's simply an attempt to alter the truth. It's straight from Orwell's 1984. It's a terrible violation by government and pure propaganda, about the purest possible. And too  many Americans are dumb enough to fall for it.

There are Park employees who are being good little statists:

Kristen Brengel, senior vice president of government affairs at the National Parks Conservation Association, said many Park Service employees are obeying the executive order even though they disagree with it.

They could, you know, just keep their big mouths shut and pretend they see nothing. For the good of truth and freedom. 

“Park staff are in a bind here,” Ms. Brengel said. “If they don’t comply with this directive, they could lose their jobs.”

I don't know how you can lose your job for not noticing or interpreting such passages otherwise. 

This is how ludicrous it gets:

At Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which straddles Tennessee and North Carolina, park officials have also flagged for review a plaque about the harm that air pollution poses to plants and animals. The plaque notes that “fossil fuel-fired power plants, motor vehicles and industry are the primary sources of these pollutants."

and

At Cane River Creole National Historical Park in Louisiana, a park official noted an exhibit about slaves who tried to escape but were captured. The official was concerned because the exhibit identified the enslavers by name and mentioned that returned slaves were publicly whipped.

If my great-great-grandpap owned and whipped slaves, then yes, his name should be available for all to see and know. Wouldn't bother me one bit, as it's no reflection on me. (And if I owned and whipped slaves, my name should be out there too.) 

There is a campaign called Save Our Signs that is encouraging the public to take pictures of existing signs and upload them to the site--so far about 800 photos have been uploaded. At least it's something.