{"id":662494,"date":"2021-08-19T15:36:53","date_gmt":"2021-08-19T19:36:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=662494"},"modified":"2021-08-19T15:36:57","modified_gmt":"2021-08-19T19:36:57","slug":"americas-250th-birthday-will-be-a-commemoration-not-celebration-in-virginia-because-leftists-dont-think-its-worth-celebrating","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/americas-250th-birthday-will-be-a-commemoration-not-celebration-in-virginia-because-leftists-dont-think-its-worth-celebrating\/","title":{"rendered":"America\u2019s 250th Birthday Will Be A \u2018Commemoration,\u2019 Not \u2018Celebration\u2019 In Virginia Because Leftists Don\u2019t Think It\u2019s Worth Celebrating"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">36<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Famericas-250th-birthday-will-be-a-commemoration-not-celebration-in-virginia-because-leftists-dont-think-its-worth-celebrating%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=662494&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/GettyImages-3307738-georgewashington.jpg?w=1200&amp;h=800&amp;ixlib=react-9.0.3\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\" \/><\/div>\n<p>The largest county in Virginia, the state once home to America\u2019s greatest Founding Fathers, will not \u201ccelebrate\u201d the 250th anniversary of America\u2019s 1776 founding after a \u201cwork group\u201d including officials associated with the United States Army and George Washington museums read a survey that showed that liberals don\u2019t think America\u2019s birth is a cause for celebration.<\/p>\n<p>The Fairfax County Semiquincentennial Work Group said events in 2026 should instead be a \u201cCommemoration\u201d of the date and \u201ca continuum of recent Virginia commemorations\u2014of 1607 and of 1619\u2014that emphasize the challenges, diversity, and dynamism of the Commonwealth\u201d and \u201can expression of our nation\u2019s movement towards greater justice and equity.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The state of Virginia \u2014 whose statewide 250th anniversary commission is led by the state\u2019s Secretary of Education Atif Qarni \u2014 hired museum consultant Susie Wilkening to produce research to answer the question \u201cWill Americans want to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence? And if so \u2026 how?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Wilkening, who wrote that her \u201clived experienced is as a white female\u201d and that her \u201cbehaviors skew heavily liberal,\u201d said that she conducted research that found that conservatives, which she called \u201ctraditionals,\u201d are \u201cnon-inclusive\u201d \u201cblind patriots\u201d who have \u201cgenerally less engagement with community,\u201d are \u201cless curious,\u201d and \u201ctend to be older, more male, less educational attainment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Liberals, which she called \u201cneoterics,\u201d are either \u201csymbolic patriots\u201d who believe \u201cthe United States is a great country\u2026 but so are others\u201d or are \u201cnot patriotic at all.\u201d Members of the last group, who \u201cgenerally feel that other countries are better,\u201d have the \u201cmost inclusive attitudes,\u201d the report said.<\/p>\n<p>The government-commissioned survey found that about 65% of respondents thought the event should be called a \u201ccelebration.\u201d But the researcher ignored the results of her survey and said it should be called a \u201ccommemoration\u201d because \u201c[\u2018celebration\u2019] skewed toward the Traditional Cluster, and the Neoteric Cluster was less enthusiastic.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Conservatives were excited about America\u2019s 250th Anniversary, but as a result, planning should be oriented around liberals\u2019 priorities instead, \u201cbecause the Traditional Cluster is all in anyway,\u201d the report said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor those who had significant concerns about how inclusive events will be, or that the U.S. hasn\u2019t lived up to its values, the word \u2018celebration\u2019 can appear to be tone-deaf (or worse),\u201d Wilkening wrote.<\/p>\n<p>Fairfax\u2019s Work Group, which relied on the state consultant\u2019s report, recommended that the county \u201cAdopt the term \u2018commemoration\u2019 as the key identifying term and philosophical foundation for the semiquincentennial\u201d and \u201cCreate and convene an advisory council to support the planning entity and ensure broad and inclusive community awareness and participation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Work Group consisted of nine people, including Julie Almacy of George Washington\u2019s Mount Vernon; Cameron Brumett, The Army Historical Foundation; and Elizabeth Maurer, National Museum of the United States Army.<\/p>\n<p>The survey found that most people, when enjoying holidays or special events, wanted to \u201crelax\u201d and that \u201cfor many,\u201d turning it into a lecture on the negative aspects of America\u2019s history \u201cwould affect their desire to visit\u201d negatively.<\/p>\n<p>One respondent said, \u201cmore and more historical places and museums are focusing too much on apologizing for the institution of slavery and not enough on the actual history.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But the \u201cresearcher\u201d decided those respondents\u2019 opinions were driven by \u201cfear,\u201d and the desire for an enjoyable holiday, too, was ignored because of the responses of the most activist liberals.<\/p>\n<p>Liberals were also \u201cless enthusiastic\u201d than conservatives about the idea that a historical presentation should operate \u201cby presenting the facts, and letting them make up their own mind.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The survey listed what it said were \u201cAmerica\u2019s Founding Ideals\u201d and included \u201cdiversity.\u201d It asked respondents to choose several of their most important \u201cfounding ideals,\u201d and less than 30% said that was one of their most important values. The group nonetheless said that planning for the event should be centered around \u201cinclusivity.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>When it came to diversity, conservatives said things like \u201cWe are Americans. We are in it together. What divides us makes us weaker. What unites us makes us strong and vibrant.\u201d Liberals said things like \u201cWe no longer have a common story.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In fact, most of the reasons to not celebrate America, in the eyes of the consultant, stemmed from America\u2019s multiculturalism.<\/p>\n<p>One respondent lamented that a celebration of America in 1776 would not have enough to do with \u201cLatinx voices.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Another, with her viewpoint attributed to being a \u201cperson of color,\u201d said \u201cI don\u2019t think America has ever been great or is currently great.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCan we call ourselves great when we are a country that was literally built by slave labor and the genocide of the native people?\u201d a third asked.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur country was founded because rich white men did not want to pay their taxes,\u201d a fourth said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe founding stories are a mythology to uphold white supremacy,\u201d a fifth claimed.<\/p>\n<p>Other liberals indicated that their love for America was contingent upon their political party holding the presidency. \u201cBeing American is not a significant part of my identity. Quite frankly, I\u2019m embarrassed when I go abroad to be identified as American due to the current administration,\u201d one said.<\/p>\n<p>Similar issues could play out at the federal level, as there is \u201cThe <a href=\"https:\/\/america250.org\/\">America250 Foundation<\/a>, officially designated by the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission to honor America\u2019s 250th.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Virginia\u2019s consultant report asked: \u201cIf we are envisioning such different Americas\u2026 how can we come together to commemorate the 250th?\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>The Daily Wire is one of America\u2019s fastest-growing conservative media companies and&nbsp;<span class=\"il\">counter-cultural<\/span>&nbsp;outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/subscribe\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/subscribe&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1615934302565000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHOV8alRjqO61ImZWCRpqOILgWzkg\">member<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The largest county in Virginia, the state once home to America\u2019s greatest Founding Fathers, will not \u201ccelebrate\u201d the 250th anniversary of America\u2019s 1776 founding after a \u201cwork group\u201d including officials &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-662494","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/662494","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=662494"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/662494\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=662494"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=662494"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=662494"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}