Is Mount Rushmore’s 4th Of July Celebration Going to be Little More Than Another “Confederate Flag Flying” Affair?

It’s been years since we embarked on a family road trip to South Dakota to visit the Crazy Horse monument, the mystical Black Hills — venture down the scenic Needles highway again — and oh yeah check out Mount Rushmore. We were planning on visiting the area on White folk’s Independence Day next month. However, so is Lord Donald Trump. Maybe, it depends on how very hurt n’ broken-hearted the 73 year-old boy-king is after his pathetic, trifling White Citizens Council rally last weekend in Tulsa has left the little fellah. Here’s guaranteed a crowd here so this may be a no-brainer for the brainless one.

Nonetheless Trump showing-up is the Green light to fly the Confederate Battle flag, helmany of his cult members are yearning-to dust-off and hang-up the vintage 1933 ‘No Dogs/No Niggers/No Mexicans/No Jews’ signs which used to dot the landscape of the “Land of Freedom.”

As an Afro-American family living in, perhaps more apropos enduring these “interesting” times we’re bearing witness-to, I simply don’t feel comfortable attending what will no-doubt transform, or more-likely regress into a “Make America White Again” jamboree. . . Unquestionably and undeniably complete with “Confederate flags” hoisted high and blowing in the summer breeze. There’s no debate about it — this is a common site at his rallies, and with Trump doubling-down on his defense of both the racist and treasonist symbol — rationalizing, minimizing and justifying its dark, menacing presence — we as Black-Americans, Mexican-Americans, Asian-American, Native-Americans, i.e., Americans-of-Color just don’t feel welcomed, let-alone wanted, desired and respected at such a partisan and deliberately racially polarizing spectacle. A display which would be much more suited to ”Stone Mountain” Georgia. I’m just saying.

As the son of a Military Policeman, grandson of a little guy who built ships in LA during WWII, great-grandson of a WWI Black Doughboy. My wife, the daughter of a Navy man, the grand niece of a “Colored Rosie Riveter ”. . . Both as the descendants of slaves who picked cotton and labored, if not poured their blood, sweat n’ tears onto the sugar and tobacco fields for generations. . . In order to construct this virtually overnight empire, we feel as most Black Americans feel — we’ve, as a people, more than earned our citizenship, our piece of the rock and all which comes with it. Which entails the right, the liberty to feel not threatened on a road trip to Mt. Rushmore, yet logically we’d fear for our safety. . . Our children’s safety.

I’m distressed by what I know is going to be the “Jim Crow” feel, flavor, texture, sound and taste of this Independence Day gathering, so very disgusted I contacted the National Park Service, the Governor’s office and the South Dakota Tourism Industry in an effort to gain “clarification” on the status of displaying the Confederate States of America Flag . . . The Governor’s office has informed me restricting the presence of the flag is “out of their department,” while the National Park Service which operates the monument has informed me there is a list of items banned and restricted, however the flag isn’t one of them . . . and as I finished writing this piece the South Dakota Office of Tourism had yet to return my call.

Understanding the “Confederate States of America” isn’t merely an historical geographical location. Instead, it’s a never abandoned, never forsaken, never disavowed nor rejected mindset and way-of-life. Rather it’s a racist Neanderthal philosophy of traitors which lives-on and breathes deeply in the cold hearts, small minds and I’d submit soul-less souls of millions upon millions, upon millions of White Americans who proudly wear the designation on their sleeves. Folks who live not only beneath the Mason-Dixon Line, but rather reside all across these no-longer seriously considered to be ‘United” States — from Oregon, Maine, Arizona, Alaska, South Dakota, Wyoming, Hawaii — Boston to Austin. . . LA to the Chesapeake Bay.

The Confederacy isn’t simply a holy, hallowed and yet morally hollow location, it’s what Trump’s America holds as an official political and social perspective, it’s their scary as hell collective cultural attitude and universal point-of view of history, of people and of the future of America.

Looking at this already “done deal” it appears this is a ‘damn the fact-filled torpedoes” situation: The South Dakota legislature recognized the serious threat to life and property decades ago when it passed a law banning fireworks sales and use within the ‘Black Hills Forest Fire Protection District.” Bill Gabbert, a former fire management officer for Mount Rushmore and six other national parks in the region, said the fireworks show, which could attract 7,500 people, would be “ill-advised” even when conditions are not as dry as they are now.

And need I mention the obvious: State officials have said that COVID-19 safety measures recommended by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — such as limiting large gatherings, requiring people to be six feet apart and the wearing of masks — will not be required of attendees at the Rushmore show. “How and why” is that so? I’d suggest because Trump is more than willing to put his “unwashed masses” in harm’s way, pimp and exploit their desperation to “take-back” their personal, “tailor-made” only for white people’s country. This is exceptionally the case for the “little people” after 8 years of damn near unbearable “Black rule.” And lest we forget Trump’s mission is to “make America White again.” by any diabolical means required. This is what his Trumpian cult, a collection of willing rank n’ file pawns desire, and they’re wiling to die to maintain 21st-century minority-ruled American Apartheid

Yes, it seems they made a dastardly deal with the devil.

If this con-man/bully is willing to risk twenty to sixty thousand supporters in Tulsa Oklahoma this weekend, without question he’ll risk 7500 folks at Rushmore.

Additionally,a 2016 U.S. Geological Survey found that several chemicals in fireworks, most prominently perchlorate, had leached into Mouth Rushmore’s groundwater. Perchlorate, when ingested at high levels, has been known to affect human thyroid function, the environmental assessment said.

Of course, to hell with the burning-bush truth, these facts have been ignored, if not dismissed because President Trump is in-search-of another photo-op, another chance to have his ego inflated. You know he’s going to suggest how some “unnamed source” suggested his already inflated likeness should be carved onto the mountain. . . Who wants to bet?

Or, in desperation is this the venue where “push comes to shove” and the grand pooh-bah fees so embolden, so very full of himself, so despearte to ally and please his Confederate minded base . . . he goes beyond calling Black men SOB’s and ventures down that path, brands Blacks as “Niggers” — refers to Natives as “Injunes,” Mexicans as “Wet-Backs,” Asians as “Chinks” and women as “Cunts” -giving the national thumps-up to his base that’ it’s “OK” to tell all Americans of color and the women he deems as “Nigger-Lovers” how we already know so much of Trump’s America, i.e., White America really feels – just like the generations before them.