NPS removes Slavery exhibit

[kroxquo]

From the people who said tearing down Confederate monuments was erasing history, we bring you:

https://billypenn.com/2026/01/22/presid ... ismantled/

[kroxquo]

The city of Philadelphia filed a lawsuit against the administration concerning the removal of the exhibit on slavery. The city has standing to do this because the exhibit was a collaborative effort and agreements to consult on any changes. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory in den Berken said, “Although many people feel strongly about this (exhibit) one way, other people may disagree or feel strongly another way. . . Ultimately, the government gets to choose the message it wants to convey.” Judge Cynthia Rufe called this argument "dangerous" and "horrifying."

https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/jud ... -129721683

[jarnon]

Judge Cynthia Rufe has ordered NPS to restore all the displays about the Black people that Pres. Washington kept enslaved in Philadelphia.

MEMORANDUM OPINION

The ruling has all the usual legal details of which statutes and agreements are applicable. More notable are the judge’s words on the value of truth itself:

>>> As if the Ministry of Truth in George Orwell’s 1984 now existed, with its motto “Ignorance is Strength,” this Court is now asked to determine whether the federal government has the power it claims—to dissemble and disassemble historical truths when it has some domain over historical facts. It does not. <<<

>>> The government here likewise asserts truth is no longer self-evident, but rather the property of the elected chief magistrate and his appointees and delegees, at his whim to be scraped clean, hidden, or overwritten. And why? Solely because, as Defendants state, it has the power. <<<

>>> The removed displays were not mere decorations to be taken down and redisplayed; rather, they were a memorial to “men, women, and children of African descent who lived, worked, and died as enslaved people in the United States of America,” a tribute to their struggle for freedom, and an enduring reminder of the inherent contradictions emanating from this country’s founding. Each person who visits the President’s House and does not learn of the realities of founding-era slavery receives a false account of this country’s history. <<<

[flockofseagulls104]

Judge Cynthia Rufe has ordered NPS to restore all the displays about the Black people that Pres. Washington kept enslaved in Philadelphia.

MEMORANDUM OPINION

The ruling has all the usual legal details of which statutes and agreements are applicable. More notable are the judge’s words on the value of truth itself:

>>> As if the Ministry of Truth in George Orwell’s 1984 now existed, with its motto “Ignorance is Strength,” this Court is now asked to determine whether the federal government has the power it claims—to dissemble and disassemble historical truths when it has some domain over historical facts. It does not. <<<

>>> The government here likewise asserts truth is no longer self-evident, but rather the property of the elected chief magistrate and his appointees and delegees, at his whim to be scraped clean, hidden, or overwritten. And why? Solely because, as Defendants state, it has the power. <<<

>>> The removed displays were not mere decorations to be taken down and redisplayed; rather, they were a memorial to “men, women, and children of African descent who lived, worked, and died as enslaved people in the United States of America,” a tribute to their struggle for freedom, and an enduring reminder of the inherent contradictions emanating from this country’s founding. Each person who visits the President’s House and does not learn of the realities of founding-era slavery receives a false account of this country’s history. <<<

Where was she when Bidens handlers were removing statues all over the place? I guess truth only matters sometimes.

[Weyoun]

Judge Cynthia Rufe has ordered NPS to restore all the displays about the Black people that Pres. Washington kept enslaved in Philadelphia.

MEMORANDUM OPINION

The ruling has all the usual legal details of which statutes and agreements are applicable. More notable are the judge’s words on the value of truth itself:

>>> As if the Ministry of Truth in George Orwell’s 1984 now existed, with its motto “Ignorance is Strength,” this Court is now asked to determine whether the federal government has the power it claims—to dissemble and disassemble historical truths when it has some domain over historical facts. It does not. <<<

>>> The government here likewise asserts truth is no longer self-evident, but rather the property of the elected chief magistrate and his appointees and delegees, at his whim to be scraped clean, hidden, or overwritten. And why? Solely because, as Defendants state, it has the power. <<<

>>> The removed displays were not mere decorations to be taken down and redisplayed; rather, they were a memorial to “men, women, and children of African descent who lived, worked, and died as enslaved people in the United States of America,” a tribute to their struggle for freedom, and an enduring reminder of the inherent contradictions emanating from this country’s founding. Each person who visits the President’s House and does not learn of the realities of founding-era slavery receives a false account of this country’s history. <<<

Where was she when Bidens handlers were removing statues all over the place? I guess truth only matters sometimes.

What truth was being removed?

Statues are meant to be memorials, in the case of those statues, done to honor Confederate traitors.

By the way, I think most of that was done on the state and local level. They did rename some military bases, for example, but does it really make any sense to name a base after a loser?

On the other hand, we’re talking about signs talking about history, providing information about what actually happened.

I was recently on the island of St. John. Something of a fortunate time to be there, since if you go there, they have, or had, signage discussing the slave plantations that the island initially had.

All that is gone now.

Only the most thin skinned white loser (cough, cough) would be bothered by such a sign. This stuff actually happened. The majority population of the island is descended from the slaves. Heck, the Danes were in charge.

It’s a literal white washing of history. So, no, that statue you complain about is not the same.

[flockofseagulls104]

Judge Cynthia Rufe has ordered NPS to restore all the displays about the Black people that Pres. Washington kept enslaved in Philadelphia.

MEMORANDUM OPINION

The ruling has all the usual legal details of which statutes and agreements are applicable. More notable are the judge’s words on the value of truth itself:

>>> As if the Ministry of Truth in George Orwell’s 1984 now existed, with its motto “Ignorance is Strength,” this Court is now asked to determine whether the federal government has the power it claims—to dissemble and disassemble historical truths when it has some domain over historical facts. It does not. <<<

>>> The government here likewise asserts truth is no longer self-evident, but rather the property of the elected chief magistrate and his appointees and delegees, at his whim to be scraped clean, hidden, or overwritten. And why? Solely because, as Defendants state, it has the power. <<<

>>> The removed displays were not mere decorations to be taken down and redisplayed; rather, they were a memorial to “men, women, and children of African descent who lived, worked, and died as enslaved people in the United States of America,” a tribute to their struggle for freedom, and an enduring reminder of the inherent contradictions emanating from this country’s founding. Each person who visits the President’s House and does not learn of the realities of founding-era slavery receives a false account of this country’s history. <<<

Where was she when Bidens handlers were removing statues all over the place? I guess truth only matters sometimes.

What truth was being removed?

Statues are meant to be memorials, in the case of those statues, done to honor Confederate traitors.

By the way, I think most of that was done on the state and local level. They did rename some military bases, for example, but does it really make any sense to name a base after a loser?

On the other hand, we’re talking about signs talking about history, providing information about what actually happened.

I was recently on the island of St. John. Something of a fortunate time to be there, since if you go there, they have, or had, signage discussing the slave plantations that the island initially had.

All that is gone now.

Only the most thin skinned white loser (cough, cough) would be bothered by such a sign. This stuff actually happened. The majority population of the island is descended from the slaves. Heck, the Danes were in charge.

It’s a literal white washing of history. So, no, that statue you complain about is not the same.

As usual, your ilk doesn't see the blatant hypocrisy. I am not upholding the removal of the slavery exhibits. They are history and they should be remembered. I am pointing out the one-sidedness and utter lack of self-awareness of the judge. Where was she when they were erasing the history she didn't want to preserve? Those statues were part of the history of this country. They were on the wrong side of it, but they were part of our history.

[Weyoun]

Where was she when Bidens handlers were removing statues all over the place? I guess truth only matters sometimes.

What truth was being removed?

Statues are meant to be memorials, in the case of those statues, done to honor Confederate traitors.

By the way, I think most of that was done on the state and local level. They did rename some military bases, for example, but does it really make any sense to name a base after a loser?

On the other hand, we’re talking about signs talking about history, providing information about what actually happened.

I was recently on the island of St. John. Something of a fortunate time to be there, since if you go there, they have, or had, signage discussing the slave plantations that the island initially had.

All that is gone now.

Only the most thin skinned white loser (cough, cough) would be bothered by such a sign. This stuff actually happened. The majority population of the island is descended from the slaves. Heck, the Danes were in charge.

It’s a literal white washing of history. So, no, that statue you complain about is not the same.

As usual, your ilk doesn't see the blatant hypocrisy. I am not upholding the removal of the slavery exhibits. They are history and they should be remembered. I am pointing out the one-sidedness and utter lack of self-awareness of the judge. Where was she when they were erasing the history she didn't want to preserve? Those statues were part of the history of this country. They were on the wrong side of it, but they were part of our history.

What really is historical about statues put up in the 1910s about Confederate generals? What are we learning from that, other than, around that time, a white power establishment was cracking back against black freedom? Would you support a sign next to these statues discussing that, or do you just want the statues?

[Beebs52]

I am not upholding the removal of the slavery exhibit per Flock

Doc, do you ever try to connect your comments to something other than stupid stuff?

[Appa23]

Where was she when Bidens handlers were removing statues all over the place? I guess truth only matters sometimes.

What truth was being removed?

Statues are meant to be memorials, in the case of those statues, done to honor Confederate traitors.

By the way, I think most of that was done on the state and local level. They did rename some military bases, for example, but does it really make any sense to name a base after a loser?

On the other hand, we’re talking about signs talking about history, providing information about what actually happened.

I was recently on the island of St. John. Something of a fortunate time to be there, since if you go there, they have, or had, signage discussing the slave plantations that the island initially had.

All that is gone now.

Only the most thin skinned white loser (cough, cough) would be bothered by such a sign. This stuff actually happened. The majority population of the island is descended from the slaves. Heck, the Danes were in charge.

It’s a literal white washing of history. So, no, that statue you complain about is not the same.

As usual, your ilk doesn't see the blatant hypocrisy. I am not upholding the removal of the slavery exhibits. They are history and they should be remembered. I am pointing out the one-sidedness and utter lack of self-awareness of the judge. Where was she when they were erasing the history she didn't want to preserve? Those statues were part of the history of this country. They were on the wrong side of it, but they were part of our history.

I do not believe that there were any federal statutes or cooperative agreements that were violated by the removal of civil war statues. Additionally, as a judge in Pennsylvania, probably not many confederate statue removals likely came before her on injunctive motions.

All of that Orwell referencing is something that lawyers call dicta — not relevant to actual decision and not precedence.