I normally avoid anything that hints of politics in this blog…unless it promotes a wholly positive perspective. In this case I may have stumbled across such a source. Tell me if I’m wrong.
Antonette Bowman, a research fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD.org) posted an article titled, “The Surprising National Security Role of America’s “Best Idea””. I normally guard against any title appearing to be “click bait”, but this one convinced me to bite- glad I did, especially on July 4th.
https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2024/07/04/the-surprising-national-security-role-of-americas-best-idea/
The opening paragraph takes an awkward approach to get to the article’s real purpose, but I applaud Antonette for creatively getting to her main content- the National Park Service (NPS). It’s not the only place in the article where she exhibits a creative gene.
For a small minority, the NPS can immediately conjure up feelings of just another federal agency exercising its authority over the U.S. population. By and large, however, this government agency scores high marks in terms of popularity and value among Americans. For reasons identified later in the article, Antonette highlights an authoritative source identifying national parks as “…the best idea we ever had. Absolutely American, absolutely democratic, they reflect us at our best rather than our worst.”
So how exactly can the NPS contribute to national security?
Russia, China, Iran, and other authoritarian nations have persistent, blatant influence campaigns targeting democratic beacons around the globe. Among their many objectives, authoritarian governments seek to turn the American population against itself (a subject to pursue in separate venues). Given today’s geo-political turmoil, the opportunities are almost limitless.
The NPS has a counter-argument. “In its own grass-roots way, the NPS cultivates and sustains unity among Americans by providing democratic educational experiences for citizens from varying backgrounds, areas of the country, and socio-economic strata….The NPS celebrates cultural, ethnic, and religious diversity as “a hallmark of American society” and invites visitors to embark on a “Places Reflecting America’s Diverse Cultures Itinerary.” The experience “pays tribute to all of the people who have made this country a beacon of light and opportunity.””
Further, the concept of establishing a National Park Service and setting aside 429 national parks is a “…uniquely American idea….this is the Declaration of Independence applied to the landscape….”.
“That for the first time in human history, land was set aside not for kings or noblemen or the very rich but for everyone and for all time. We invented it.”
The two-fold challenge for the American population is this: 1.) Will they recognize and embrace the NPS message of unity, and 2.) will they fail to recognize the destructive message originating from America’s enemies?
Hope you had a great July 4th. Maybe you have a visit planned for an American national park this summer. If you do, check out Antonette’s article before you visit and take a few minutes to educate yourself.
The National Park Service (NPS) mission is to preserve the natural and cultural resources of the National Park Service for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of current and future generations.