An open letter to the President and U.S. Congress

Defend the Smithsonian and Investigate the 1776 Award Rigging

156 so far! Let’s get to 250 signers!

Two things need to happen now: investigate the rigging of the Presidential 1776 Award competition, and push back against Executive Order 14415's politically motivated attack on the National Museum of American History. Both are textbook corruption, and both deserve a congressional response. On the 1776 Award: judges apparently changed acceptable answers to history questions to knock out a 17-year-old Indian immigrant and hand the prize to white contestants who expressed support for Trump. That's not a competition — it's a charade run with taxpayer money under Education Secretary Linda McMahon's watch. On the Smithsonian: the White House report that triggered EO 14415 misquoted NMAH Director Dr. Anthea Hartig, cherry-picked exhibits, and ignored that the museum has 12 founding-era exhibitions and mentions George Washington 54 times. The "Girlhood" exhibit they attacked closed three years ago. This administration is trying to replace honest American history with a sanitized, racially exclusive version. The Smithsonian has stood for 180 years as a public trust. Demand an investigation into the 1776 Award process and use every available tool to block the enforcement of EO 14415 before permanent damage is done.

First sent on July 28 by Jeffrey Barlow

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