As we celebrate our nation’s 250th birthday, we should consider the influence our national parks and monuments have on our people and heritage. Many of these locations are designed to honor our rich history, which is filled with positives that changed the world for the better. Principles of liberty, justice, and democratic representative government were created in many of these locations. Other locations showcase our beautiful tapestry of natural wonders, preserved in our national parks, demonstrating why so many people have, over time, wanted to come and live in this great country. But as many who have visited the locations preserved by our National Park Service have likely observed, the rich heritage and beauty that draw people to these places have been quietly but forcefully subverted. Some parks, such as Independence Hall in Philadelphia — which is known as the place where the Declaration of Independence was signed, hosted the Second Constitutional Convention, and provided a home to John Adams — have been subverted to contain messaging about the evils of slavery and the women’s suffrage movement. While those are worthy discussions, that specific location should celebrate the significance of the moments that happened there, not be overshadowed by negative messages irrelevant to the site.Another example is Yosemite National Park, which even now has messaging about climate change and greenhouse gases. Visitors should be able to go there to see the location’s beauty, learn about the ecosystems and wildlife, and discover the history of the park. They should not be force-fed progressive orthodoxy.