As we celebrate our nation’s 250th birthday, we should consider the influence our national parks and monuments have on our people and heritage. Many of these locations are designed to honor our rich history, which is filled with positives that changed the world for the better. Principles of liberty, justice, and democratic representative government were created in many of these locations. Other locations showcase our beautiful tapestry of natural wonders, preserved in our national parks, demonstrating why so many people have, over time, wanted to come and live in this great country.
But as many who have visited the locations preserved by our National Park Service have likely observed, the rich heritage and beauty that draw people to these places have been quietly but forcefully subverted. Some parks, such as Independence Hall in Philadelphia — which is known as the place where the Declaration of Independence was signed, hosted the Second Constitutional Convention, and provided a home to John Adams — have been subverted to contain messaging about the evils of slavery and the women’s suffrage movement. While those are worthy discussions, that specific location should celebrate the significance of the moments that happened there, not be overshadowed by negative messages irrelevant to the site.
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Another example is Yosemite National Park, which even now has messaging about climate change and greenhouse gases. Visitors should be able to go there to see the location’s beauty, learn about the ecosystems and wildlife, and discover the history of the park. They should not be force-fed progressive orthodoxy.
One might wonder why this is still happening despite President Donald Trump’s order for the NPS to cease these efforts and remove signage that does not align with American exceptionalism. The answer, in part, at least, is nongovernmental organizations. As detailed in a recent report by the Council to Modernize Governance, there has been considerable effort by progressive NGOs to influence the NPS, its employees, and visitors to NPS sites.
These NGOs take several forms. One category of NGO is those formed for “education,” offering “expert” advice to NPS employees, visitors, or really anyone who will listen. But this “education” emphasizes principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion, catering to so-called underrepresented categories of people, such as LGBT, black, or indigenous peoples. The education, of course, comes from progressive principles designed to make the listener believe progressive ideals.
The second category is more akin to how policy groups would operate. Their purpose is to be in the ear of government officials and have the government design policies on their behalf. Often, officials from a progressive administration find refuge in these NGOs when a conservative administration gains power, and then go back again when they win. The career political class controls the content of park exhibits, regardless of whether the American people have voted against the progressive ideals they hold.
The last category is employee organizations, such as unions, whose leadership holds progressive values. Again, this type of NGO is not beholden to any public vote. They are not accountable to the president or any appointee of the president. Rather, they influence NPS employees from within.
The list of NGOs that fit these categories is numerous and amorphous. One could not ban any single bad actor. Therefore, more lasting steps should be taken to prevent their influence.
So, what should be done?
First, Trump should sign an executive order that would prevent federal funds — in the form of grants, contracts, or other forms of funding — from going to an NGO that does not align with the principles of celebrating American heritage and beauty. Funding should not go toward an NGO that undermines our heritage, revises our history, or seeks to impose discriminatory policies such as DEI.
Such an executive order should also create a list of criteria consistent with these stated principles and order the agencies that manage national parks, historical sites, or memorials to issue guidance. This guidance should prohibit federal employees from consulting with or giving access to “experts” who do not align with American excellence principles.
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Third, CMG’s paper outlines some basic criteria — with examples — that the executive order should establish to consider delisting certain sites created to undermine American heritage and ideals. For instance, a monument dedicated to encouraging or celebrating violence against law enforcement — such as the Stonewall riots — should be reevaluated under the criteria. In that case, memorializing the moment sends the message that a desire for change justifies violence.
This momentous year, when America should be celebrated, is the perfect time to address the problem of progressive NGOs subverting our history. Trump should do just that.
Curtis Schube is the executive director of Council to Modernize Governance, a think tank committed to making the administration of government more efficient, representative, and restrained. He is formerly a constitutional and administrative law attorney.