We the People America 250: Country at a Crossroads - Part 2
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How does the event open and set the stage for America’s 250th celebration?
Can I just quickly say hello to you? For me, being a part of this place has always been about the people, not about the politics. Why are you holding this sign? You ever been to a protest before? Be safe. People that we cover who allow us to enter their lives. How's everybody doing? Everybody doing okay? How long you guys been in line? I love human beings. To spend time connecting with them is the biggest blessing that I could ask for.
From the field to the studio, Jacob is finding the heart of the story. Connect with Jacob Soboroff. Weekends at 10 a.m. Eastern on MSNOW.
He has refused his assent to laws the most wholesome and necessary for the public good. He has obstructed the administration of justice. He has kept among us in times of peace standing armies without the consent of our legislatures. He has cut off our trade with all parts of the world. he has deprived us in many cases of the benefits of trial by jury. In every stage of these oppressions, we have petitioned for redress in the most humble terms. Our repeated petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
Nine years ago, in 2017, on July 4th, 2017, NPR did something that it does every year. National Public Radio, NPR, every year, they have their broadcasters read the Declaration of Independence On air, in full. In 2017, NPR also posted the declaration online. They just posted the whole thing unedited in a long series of tweets. This is an annual tradition for NPR. This is how they mark the country's birthday every year. You know, they're re-familiarizing all of us with the words that launched our national bid for independence. And not just the opening lines that we all know so well, not just, you know, when in the course of human events, not just we hold these truths to be self-evident, but they did all the words in the Declaration of Independence, the full indictment, because that's what our Declaration of Independence is.
It is an indictment enumerating the crimes of a tyrant. So NPR posts it, and they have their staff read it every year. But in 2017, when they did it, That was Donald J. Trump's first Independence Day as president of the United States. And that year, when NPR did its annual recitation, just like they do every year, fans of our new president heard those words or read those words online, and they thought it was an attack on Donald Trump. Real headline, quote, Some Trump supporters thought NPR tweeted propaganda. It was the Declaration of Independence. Outraged responses to the declaration's language that day included this. So NPR is calling for revolution. Interesting way to condone violence while trying to sound patriotic, your implications are clear.
For this one, propaganda is all that you know how to do. Try supporting a man who wants to do something about the injustice in this country. And also, this is great just because it's so pathetic.
Why did NPR’s 2017 Declaration of Independence reading provoke controversy and what does it reveal about political polarization?
Please stop. This is not the right place. Try Canada? The president's supporters were really quite upset. Upset enough that when CNN wrote up the Fuhrer, they had to put it in a clarifying headline that said, no, NPR was not trying to start a revolution. I don't know if any of you guys ever read Matto Blog, which is the blog online for my show. It's written by Steve Bannon, who's been on my show staff from the very beginnings, one of my best friends. And he has since created a whole running series on all the times Donald Trump and Donald Trump's supporters, upon hearing just basic core American principles uttered out loud, assume that those principles are anti-Trump criticisms.
It is funny and obvious, but it's also like really a very bullseye analysis, right, of the biggest question facing our country on our 250th birthday. Because, you know, one of the core principles of our country, the core principle that led our forebears to found this country is that we fight tyrants. That's who we are. Not just we don't like tyrants, or we have a good analysis of tyranny being bad, but we fight tyrants, and we've done it from day one.
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Chapters
3 chapters
1
How does the event open and set the stage for America’s 250th celebration?
0:00–4:28
2
Why did NPR’s 2017 Declaration of Independence reading provoke controversy and what does it reveal about political polarization?
4:28–36:25
3
How are modern protests and 'No Kings' demonstrations reshaping civic engagement?
36:25–45:29
Speakers
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