For the third consecutive year, the traditional fireworks display at Mt. Rushmore on the Fourth of July will not take place, and it is attributed to President Joe Biden's administration.
According to South Dakota NBC affiliate KNBN, the National Parks Service has denied a permit for an Independence Day celebration at the American landmark, Mt. Rushmore.
South Dakota Republican Gov. Kristi Noem took to Twitter to announce the rejection on Thursday.
The best way to celebrate America’s Birthday is with fireworks at Mount Rushmore.
Today, the Biden Administration rejected them. Again. pic.twitter.com/0J4M1xaQOy
— Kristi Noem (@KristiNoem) January 12, 2023
According to the Daily Caller, a letter from Mount Rushmore National Memorial Superintendent Michelle Wheatley to Wanda Goodman of the South Dakota Department of Tourism stated that fireworks displays at Mount Rushmore are "viewed by multiple Tribes as an adverse effect on the traditional cultural landscape."
“This view was expressed by consulting [Native American] Tribes in 2020 and has been reaffirmed by Tribal government representatives in subsequent meetings and letters,” Wheatley wrote.
Governor Kristi Noem took legal action after the Biden administration denied her request for a fireworks display in 2021, calling the Department of the Interior's decision "arbitrary," according to KNBN.
However, the Eighth Circuit of Appeals ruled that the objections were not relevant as the lawsuit was filed after the event had already passed and the government has the authority to reject fireworks permits at national memorials.
“Nobody has a right to shoot off fireworks on someone else’s land, whether it be a neighbor; an area business; or as is the case here, a national park,” wrote Judge David Straus.
“Each of these situations requires permission, and for a national park, the way to get it is by requesting a permit. With no substitute, doing away with this process will only make it harder, not easier, for South Dakota to remedy its claimed injury.”
The application for the 2023 fireworks permit had been submitted by the time the decision was made, though.
In a 2021 Op-Ed for National Review, Governor Kristi Noem criticized the decision of the Biden Administration to deny the permit and mentioned that Mount Rushmore is "the perfect place to mark our independence."
“Unfortunately, the Biden administration does not share South Dakota’s desire to celebrate America’s birthday at our Shrine of Democracy,” Noem wrote.
“It has arbitrarily and unlawfully denied our permit to hold the event this year, violating a memorandum of agreement that the state of South Dakota had with the Department of Interior.”
The reason behind this decision is considered petty by many, as it denies a fireworks permit at the Shrine of Democracy for July 4th due to a few Native American activists, questionable environmental concerns, and an animosity towards the politicians associated with it.
Many people consider this decision to be a disrespectful snub of a patriotic celebration for one of the greatest nations on earth, and it cannot be accepted with a weak excuse of "consulting Tribes" viewing fireworks as having "an adverse effect on the traditional cultural landscape." Those responsible for this decision should be held accountable.
Trending Political News
New Arizona Governor Makes Shocking Move While Being Sworn In
In a stunning move, reporters were not allowed to be in attendance to cover the inauguration of Katie Hobbs as governor of Arizona on Monday.
According to local reporter Stacey Barchenger, only a single photographer from the Associated Press was allowed into the room at the state Capitol to cover the inauguration of the Democrat governor. Other reporters were directed to watch the event via live stream, and media was present outside the event.
Alleged Idaho Killer's Neighbor Reveals Shocking Fact About Him
Neighbors of Bryan Kohberger, the suspect in the November killings of four University of Idaho students, have recently commented on whether or not they noticed any indications that he may have been involved in the murders.
Bryan Kohberger, age 28, was taken into custody in Pennsylvania last week and has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder and felony burglary in connection with the deaths of Kailee Golcalves, Maddie Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin, all students at the University of Idaho. Kohberger was a graduate student at Washington State University and a resident of Pullman, Washington.
Peter Doocy Asks White House Press Secretary the Question We've All Been Wondering
During a press briefing, Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy asked White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre directly if President Joe Biden had any involvement in "family business schemes."
The Republican-controlled House Oversight Committee has claimed that there is evidence that Biden lied to the public about his involvement in his family's international business ventures. The new Republican majority in the House has also vowed to investigate the president's son, Hunter, over his dealings with Ukrainian energy company Burisma and Chinese energy company CEFC China Energy.
College Basketball Team Was Ready to Start the Game But They Forgot One Very Important Thing
Florida and Texas A&M were scheduled to have a college basketball game Wednesday night, but the game was delayed because the Texas A&M Aggies forgot one thing that was kind of important: their uniforms.
The Aggies arrived at the arena for their game with Florida, and upon conducting their warmups, they realized there was an issue with their uniforms. They were not in the locker room as expected, but rather at the team's hotel. In response, a team manager had to quickly return to the hotel to retrieve the uniforms. Both teams used the extra time to continue warming up.
Twitter Explodes After They See Who Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is Chatting With During House Speaker Vote
During the House speakership vote on Tuesday, observers were surprised to see Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York (D) and Paul Gosar of Arizona (R) chatting casually in the House chamber, despite their known rivalry.
A video clip shared widely online shows Gosar and Ocasio-Cortez seated alongside each other and engaged in what appears to be a friendly conversation during a break in the House speakership vote. This occurred after House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy's bid for speakership fell short of the required 218 votes, leading to another round of voting. The clip was captured by C-SPAN.
World Famous Psychologist Arrested for Shaming Justin Trudeau
The College of Psychologists of Ontario is reportedly conducting an investigation into Canadian clinical psychologist and author Dr. Jordan B. Peterson, reportedly in relation to his criticism of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
The College of Psychologists of Ontario confirmed on its website that it made a decision on November 22 requiring Peterson to participate in a Specified Continuing Education or Remedial Program (SCERP), a coaching program meant to address concerns about an individual's public conduct.
