by Alex Lloyd Gross
U.S. District Judge Cynthia Rufe ruled in favor of the city, ordering the restoration of the murals that President Donald Trump had ordered removed from the historic area. The Trump administration said it would appeal the ruling.
When John Adams and George Washington were presidents of the United States, the U.S. Capitol was located in Philadelphia at Independence Hall. That is a proud fact of U.S. history. Both men owned slaves. That is an unfortunate fact of American history. Several murals were attached to buildings in the Old City area.
These murals told the story of enslaved people, honored them, and drew attention to their presence. Since 2006, the city and the federal government had a mutual understanding that before any changes were made, the two sides would meet and agree on what should be displayed there.
In her ruling, Judge Rufe brought to mind George Orwell’s book 1984: “All history was a palimpsest, scraped clean and re-inscribed exactly as often as was necessary. In no case would it have been possible, once the deed was done, to prove that any falsification had taken place.”
Those words are chilling. The Trump administration said in its appeal that it has the right to showcase its narrative and that the public would be served by allowing the government to convey its preferred speech.
Alex Lloyd Gross File Photo Delaware Valley News.com president Donald Trump on the campaign trail.
People have protested the removal of the exhibit. Both sides want a fast ruling due to the impending 250th birthday of America.