The National Archives of the United States, in a newly-released report, bizarrely claims that the famous Capitol Rotunda displays “structural racism,” and should have “trigger warnings” added for guests entering the iconic chamber, as reported by the Epoch Times.
The report, originally released on April 20th, was written by the National Archives’ “Task Force on Racism.” It was headed by David Ferriero, an Obama appointee, in the summer of 2020 following the death of George Floyd in May. The death of Floyd, a career criminal who fatally overdosed on fentanyl while in police custody in Minneapolis, sparked nationwide race riots by far-left domestic terrorist groups such as Black Lives Matter and Antifa, which destroyed dozens of cities and hundreds of businesses, and led to the deaths of over two dozen Americans in the streets.
Ferriero’s report concludes that there is “unequivocally” an “overarching system of racial bias” in how the National Archives operates. The report claims that the Rotunda, which houses the original Declaration of Independence, United States Constitution, and the Bill of Rights, and depicts many of America’s Founding Fathers in paintings and sculptures, “lauds wealthy White men in the nation’s Founding, while marginalizing BIPOC (black, indigenous, people of color), women, and other communities.”
The report claims that the Rotunda’s various artistic depictions leave “women, Indians, and enslaved people” out of several crucial moments in American history, including the iconic signing of the Declaration of Independence. However, this is actually maintaining historical accuracy, as there were no women, Indians, or slaves present at that moment.
“While these massive paintings are historically significant and loved by many, others find them oppressive and exclusionary,” the report continues. It then calls for a “diverse group of contemporary artists” to be hired by the National Archives in order to “reimagine” the iconic Rotunda by painting new murals “reflecting a variety of interpretations of the founding documents.” Furthermore, the report suggests adding “trigger warnings” alongside the major artistic displays, so as to not offend minorities by causing “intense physiological and psychological symptoms.”
The absurd suggestions by the report quickly drew widespread backlash. One prominent critic was Jonathan Turley, a constitutional law professor at George Washington University who defended President Donald Trump during his impeachment trials.
“The Rotunda,” Turley explained in a post on his blog, “is a celebration of these foundational documents, not some zero sum contest for what groups will now be represented in this relatively small space. The Rotunda is designed as a reverent space for our founding documents. It does not require reimagination to understand the power and significance of those documents.”