150 years ago, Abraham
Lincoln ended the Gettysburg Address with, “that this nation, under God, shall
have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the
people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”
Today, our government barricades
our national monuments to prevent our citizens, including our aging veterans,
from paying their respects to the heroes and heroines of our nation. Monuments
that only saw temporary barriers following 9-11 now are blocked not due to
threat, but because the administration wants to score political points.
The national mall is open
24 hours a day, 7 days a week; until now. The multitude of monuments
commemorating great Americans, war heroes, and momentous events are open during
the worst weather, during protests, and during previous government shutdowns.
Yet our government is paying to barricade us from connecting with our heritage,
paying our respects, and learning about our history because federal employees
are furloughed.
Lincoln did understand that
the government is one of the people, by the people, and for
the people. The actions of our government this week are ones of government over
the people. Regardless of which party you are rooting for, no matter whether
you want more or less government spending, denying our citizens access to our, and
I mean our, national monuments is unacceptable.
Mr. President, please tell
the Park Service to tear down those barricades! They belong to the American
people! Those we elect and those hired to manage, maintain, and protect these
treasures, work for us. No one has the right to deny citizens access to our
monuments.
Whoever decided that
punishing the American people in order to gain political advantage should lose
their job.
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