You May Need Legislation to Save Mount Rushmore

When many people think of the state of South Dakota, they think of Mount Rushmore.

However, many people also think of the meaning behind the monument differently and the current climate in the United States is a prime example of that.

As statues and monuments connected to slavery, social injustice and other race based issues are coming down left and right throughout the United States, you may need legislation to save Mount Rushmore.

That is at least the thought process of one South Dakota politician, as South Dakota Representative Dusty Johnson has introduced legislation to protect Mount Rushmore from being altered or destroyed.

Johnson recognizes that those four Presidents weren't perfect but they were a very important part of our countries fabric and history.

The specific bill is called the Mount Rushmore Protection Act and it would disallow the use of federal dollars to destroy or alter Mount Rushmore.

It is multiple groups of people in the US who don't agree with celebrating those Presidents as well.

Native Americans see the situation as the monument sits on stolen land while many African Americans take issue with some of the Presidents connections to slavery.

Not only has Representative Johnson weighed in on the potential of Mount Rushmore to become the latest monument to be in the conversation of removal, but South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem has as well.

Earlier this week on Twitter, Noem responded to the notion of removing Mount Rushmore saying "Not on my watch".

We will see if this idea to remove or change Mount Rushmore gains steam but for now, legislation has been introduced to potentially protect the monument regardless of any desire to do so.