A Historic Day at Mount Rushmore
By Governor Kristi Noem
On July 3rd, South Dakota got to showcase our state to not only the rest of the nation but also the world. For the first time in more than a decade, we celebrated America’s birthday with fireworks at Mount Rushmore. The excitement leading up to the event could be felt by everyone in attendance. Over just three days, more than 125 thousand people tried to get tickets to the event, and the lucky 7,500 who witnessed it in person saw quite a show.
South Dakotans know just how beautiful and magnificent the Black Hills and Mount Rushmore are, but it was wonderful to share them withmillions of viewers from around the globe. Early estimates suggest more than 5.5 million people tuned in to watch our celebration on just one cable news network.
Our team at the Department of Tourism spent countless hours pulling together this great event. The Department of the Interior’s SecretaryDavid Bernhardt was instrumental in helping us overcome countless obstacles to make it a reality. And of course, none of this would have been possible without President Trump’s dedication to making this event happen. Before I was even sworn in as Governor, I asked for his help to bring fireworks back to Mount Rushmore, and he went to work on it immediately.
In addition to the wonderful fireworks display, we were also thrilled to be the audience for President Trump’s best ever speech. It was unifying and focused on his dedication to the things that make America the greatest country in the world. But he also warned of a sinister threat to that greatness: the radical movement to re-write American history.
Make no mistake, this movement is not about equality. This movement’s attempt to “cancel” the founding generation is an attempt to cancel our own freedoms. Our Founders had their flaws, certainly. But every person has flaws. Without our Founders’ words, ideals, and sacrifice, the world would not have a ringing example of true freedom. We can write, worship, work, defend ourselves, and even protest as we see fit because of these men and their ideals.
That’s what the celebration of America’s birthday is about. It’s about our core American ideal: “All men are created equal.” It’s about the day our ideal was forever enshrined in one of the most important statements of purpose ever written, the Declaration of Independence. It’s about the work of countless brave men and women, including the four presidents enshrined on Mount Rushmore, to live up to that ideal and make America the greatest country ever.
Everyone who tuned in for our celebration also learned about South Dakota’s commitment to that American ideal, to freedom, and to trusting our citizens to exercise their personal responsibility to do what’s best for themselves and their loved-ones. Let us, like our Founding Fathers, pledge our own lives, fortunes, and sacred honor to the cause of liberty and self-government, so that we may continue to have the freedom to follow our consciences, build our lives, and live in peace. And let’s continue to celebrate America’s birthday with fireworks at Mount Rushmore!
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I don’t know about you but I watched our Governor applaud our President say that our public school teachers were indoctrinating our children to hate America. Definitely not a high water mark for our elected officials.
Agreed, Matthew.
Truth hurts, huh.
Whether truth hurts is not as simple as you suggest. As far as I’ve gathered throughout life, everyone finds suffering from some truth, and comfort from other truth. Which truth do you suggest hurts, and why?
I thnk the evidence that he is correct is evident today in the actions of young people in the streets across America. They have no concept of our nation’s history and little pride in America.
Perhaps millennials have realized “American exceptionalism” is a myth and there’s not a lot to be proud of at the moment.
Give it a rest. Why do so many people want to emigrate to the USA if we are so bad? Are they lining up to emigrate to socialist countries? No one is stopping those who hate America from moving to a country more in line with their beliefs and desires. Just leave our exceptional, yes exceptional, nation alone!
Yeah, if they dislike America, why don’t they just leave and go to a country that is already socialist? Why do they have to ruin America?
Have you met any immigrants here in the US? Have you heard from any of them? I ask those rhetorical questions, because immigrants have come here for a wide variety of reasons, some finding everything they expected, others finding they were misled about reality here.
In what way(s) do you believe our nation is exceptional? I think it is in many ways, hence I ask.
Kristi’s Covid Party
Would you say the same about all the rioters and looters?
Even many of the teenagers at the protests knew better. They wore masks.
They wore masks because “they knew better” or did they wear masks because they are a bunch of cowards and don’t want to be recognized?
Bank on it. When our Covid numbers jump… and they will…. Kristi will wish she had asked us to wear masks. Her approval will drop. And I will be here to say “I told you so”.
I know that you think you know better. Just like DeSantis, Abbot and Kemp did.
Give us your name Elk so we can properly give you all the credit you will deserve.