I pray all of our RedState VIP subscribers, readers, lovers and particularly our haters have a blessed and memorable Memorial Day weekend. In honor of the courageous women and men who’ve given their lives in service to our nation and for our freedom, my husband and I are celebrating by touring north with a pal to see some historic websites. We hope to take a look at a little bit of the Appalachian wilderness earlier than heading to Chicago to have a good time a milestone with my household. After I journey by vehicle, one factor that all the time warms my coronary heart is to see our American flag flying within the wind: whether or not it is on a public or personal constructing or on the again of a truck. America’s beliefs, America’s founding, America’s expertise and wealth will stay robust so long as the flag flies; This is the reason some take an excessive amount of bother seeing it waved boldly and freely.
The superintendent of Alaska’s Denali Nationwide Park appears to haven’t any such emotions. In reality, he thinks the American flag is disconnected from the Denali Nationwide Park expertise. Libs of TikTok picked up this story from a publication known as Alaska Watchman, then did its regular factor.
That is Brooke Merrell, superintendent of Denali Nationwide Park in Alaska.
He informed development crews working within the park that they may not fly the American flag from their vehicles or tools as a result of it “detracts from the park expertise.”
Sen. Sullivan responded by sending a… pic.twitter.com/kOaHlamjnh
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) May 26, 2024
That is Brooke Merrell, superintendent of Denali Nationwide Park in Alaska.
He informed development crews working within the park that they may not fly the American flag from their vehicles or tools as a result of it “detracts from the park expertise.”
Sen. Sullivan responded by sending a damning letter demanding solutions.
Completely disrespectful @DenaliNPS
It could be one other matter totally if Brooke Merrell have been a personal citizen and Denali Nationwide Park was a privately owned wilderness protect. However the phrase “nationwide” within the title provides it away. Denali Nationwide Park Service and Protect is owned by the federal government—which many overlook, such as you and me—by Joe and Jill taxpayers. One of many development crews reached out to Alaska Watchman to tell them.
As of 2023, development is underway to restore the street at mile 45. This spring two cell vehicles and a chunk of heavy tools have been flying customary measurement US flags.
One of many contractors engaged on the bridge reached out to Alaska Watchman in regards to the latest order to take away the flags. He requested that his identify not be used, as he’s actively engaged on the mission.
In keeping with the contractor, Denali Nationwide Park Superintendent Brooke Merrell contacted the individual overseeing the federal freeway mission, claiming there have been complaints in regards to the U.S. flag and informing him that bridge employees needed to cease flying the celebrities and stripes from their autos as a result of it was obstructing. “The Park Expertise.”
Besides this park is a part of the “Nationwide” Park Service, which is funded by citizen donations and taxpayer funds. However the contractors cannot fly the flag of our nation? Excuse me?!
“The vehicles are flying this American flag, a few foot on high of the truck, a few three foot by 4 foot flag, and so they mentioned they did not need it,” the contractor defined. “They are saying it is not optimum and it does not match the expertise of the park.”
Till this week, although, the flags have been displayed with out incident. Flags have been ordered to be lowered solely when the park began working tour buses, he added.
“Right here I’m in a nationwide park, and we’re being informed we will not fly the American flag,” the contractor continued. “I perceive that there are guidelines for contractors working in nationwide parks, however you would not assume that flying the American flag can be a part of these guidelines.”
No must dig deeper than the background of Brooke Merrell, who will take over as superintendent in 2022. She is a type of feminine “firsts” who, based on her LinkedIn profile, has spent her profession in a single kind or one other of presidency administration , the final 15 of that are in Alaska, working her means up the chain. His CV is filled with left-leaning advocacy and activist work: DNA Individuals’s Authorized Companies on the Navajo Nation, Metropolis of Portland, Columbia Riverkeeper and Gulf Islands Nationwide Seashore. As one crewman informed Alaska Watchman: “When these liberals get in command of these parks, that is what occurs.”
This jogs my memory of that story again in February, the place Gen. Cameron Blazek simply preferred to show his American flag and put it on the again of his truck. Blasek even did his analysis to respect the flag and never show it in an inappropriate means.
ST. LEON, Ind. — East Central Excessive College senior Cameron Blazek is all over the place Outdated Glory goes. The American flag flies within the wind behind his blue Dodge 4×4.
“The flag itself represents this nation, this lovely nation we reside in,” Blasek mentioned. “It additionally represents the individuals who have fought their lives for this. And I believe it is actually laborious to speak about it, however I believe it is a massive factor.”
However when his truck was parked on the college all day, it triggered issues for the administration, who informed him the flag wanted to be faraway from his truck.
On Thursday, Blasek said he was pulled aside by his mentor and vice principal. He said they told him he needed to remove the flag from the back of the truck because it was a violation of school rules.
Blasek said school officials told him that other students could fly the flag “which is seen as offensive.”
“To be honest, I was shocked,” he said. “I… read the 2023-2024 handbook, and the word ‘flag’ is not even mentioned in the parking lot or driving section. The only section where it is mentioned is the flag-rolling section.”
Blazek put the flag on his truck. The next day, several others showed up in the parking lot with American flags in their own cars.
“There was a huge support group that believed in and stood by what I did,” he said. “I was shocked to see it.”
We have a generation that respects our flag and understands what it stands for and what it means, and then we have people like Brooke Merrell, who wouldn’t have had this special job if it weren’t for the men and women who have bled for it and has died As Alaska Watchman and Libs on TikTok have discovered, Denali has no problem flying other flags: like the Pride flag. In fact, the National Park Service has dedicated an entire page to LGBTQ+ flags and their display.
Did you know that the National Park Service has an entire page dedicated to LGBTQ+ pride flags?
You can’t fly the American flag in Alaska’s Denali National Park, but the pride flag is probably fine.
Our tax dollars are funding this. dishonorable @DenaliNPS https://t.co/gQCqolWUkm pic.twitter.com/YPsLzGe3p1
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) May 26, 2024
However the American flag “disrupts.”
Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan acquired Merrell’s actions and has nobody to be blissful about. So, he did what Congress does greatest: He wrote a strongly worded letter to the director of the Nationwide Park Service.
Sen. Dan Sullivan despatched a letter to Nationwide Park Service Director Charles “Chuck” Sams III, expressing his robust disapproval of calls for that employees take away American flags from their vehicles and heavy tools. Sullivan additionally spoke about this The Mike Porcaro Present Adam Trombley, Sullivan’s state director, mentioned Friday that he was making an attempt to achieve Park Superintendent Merrell by cellphone.
Sullivan mentioned the problem was significantly troubling provided that it got here on the eve of Memorial Day weekend.
It is an outrage that within the lead as much as Memorial Day, a development employee was banned from flying an American flag at a nationwide park in Alaska. I can not think about a federal regulation or regulation mandating this.
i wrote @NatlParkService And needed a response: pic.twitter.com/ynGXU6uHi9
– That. Dan Sullivan (@SendanSullivan) May 25, 2024
And like freedom-loving individuals, Alaskans are doing what they’re doing nicely: making a present of energy to let the American flag fly, however this bullshit. won’t. On Sunday, beginning at 12:00 pm Alaska time, Alaskans plan to assemble on stage in a Walmart parking zone, then collect at Denali Nationwide Park to fly the patriotic flag.
america-Heck sure!
A convoy with patriotic flags will meet Sunday on the Fairbanks Walmart parking zone and head towards the Denali Park entrance round 1 p.m., mentioned Keith Fons of North Pole, who’s organizing the convoy. The drive to the doorway normally takes about two hours. The objective is to take a hiatus break within the Three Bears parking zone, the place individuals can connect, reattach, or modify their flags, and arrive on the park entrance customer focus on 2:30 or 3 p.m.
Others are organizing to come back from the south, with individuals from Wasilla, Palmer and Anchorage now bringing the patriotic spirit to the Memorial Day experience. Organizers mentioned they’ll line the street as safely as attainable if the customer heart parking zone is full.
My colleague and Alaska correspondent Ward Clark has no extra doubts about this. We’re a free nation, as a result of we’re courageous. Our flag represents them, and there must be no restrictions on the place it’s flown wherever in America – particularly in a nationwide park.
