Federal judge declines to order fireworks at Mount Rushmore
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Federal judge declines to order fireworks at Mount Rushmore
Mount Rushmore Fireworks
Noem sued the U.S. Department of Interior in an effort to reverse the decision to deny the state's permit for the pyrotechnic display. The Republican governor successfully pushed last year for a return of the event after a decadelong hiatus. But the National Park Service denied it this year, citing safety concerns and objections from local Native American tribes.
The opinion and order from Chief Judge Roberto Lange of the federal district court of South Dakota meant that the night sky over Mount Rushmore will be devoid of the state's fireworks on Independence Day this year.
Noem has decried the decision to deny the fireworks permit as “political" and made a patriotic argument for holding fireworks at the massive monument. The event last year gave former President Donald Trump an opportunity to make a fiery speech at the monument. The state had signed an agreement with the federal government under Trump to work towards having the fireworks display this year.
In a statement responding to the judge's decision, Noem blamed President Joe Biden's administration for cancelling the fireworks, saying it was “on completely arbitrary grounds.”
“But rest assured, this fight is not over,” she said, promising to appeal the decision in an effort to restore the event next year.
In a 36-page opinion and order, Lange, who was nominated by former President Barack Obama, wrote that he liked the idea of having a fireworks display to celebrate Independence Day, but declined to order the National Park Service to allow it because it would “be improper judicial activism for this Court to disregard settled law” on how federal agencies are allowed to make decisions.
Lange wrote: “This country could use a good celebration of its foundational principles of democracy, liberty, and equal protection of law, after a pandemic that has disrupted society and business and has killed nearly 600,000 United States citizens to date, after an insurrection and physical incursion of the United States Capitol while Congress was convening to certify the outcome of the presidential election, and after this nation has become so sadly divided by the politicization of so many issues, likely to include even the outcome of this case."
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Suck it Noem! Who are you going to sue now?
Noem values money, over people. So obvious when you saw the Sturgis superspreader evant.
Got any stats on your self proclaimed "Super spreader" event? Please show your work and yes, you do answer to each and every member here as well as those outside looking in when you make such claims.
Thanks in advance.
What the hell is wrong with fireworks on Independence Day? This is beyond ludicrous. I suppose it's because 45 had the audacity to celebrate at basically a national monument?
Phucqueem and shoot them off just outside the boundaries of the park. Problem solved.
Fucking brilliant idea!
45 turned it into an inappropriate ME ME ME event much like he did at the Boy Scout Jamboree.
The whole monument at Mt Rushmore should come down. It was created by a racist and is built on Native American land.
This is crazy talk.
Uh noem, what do you think you are doing. Just playing political games.
Who would get stuck with the bill when the people who would attend the show trash the place?
Temporary job creation by the state of South Dakota and/or the feds
It's a moot point anyway. Not gonna happen!
Suck it Noem!
Seems Gov. Kristi Noem has a long forked tongue when it comes to Native Americans in her State: