CNN Host Slams ‘Slur’ in Declaration of Independence Ahead of USA’s 250th Bday

CNN anchor Victor Blackwell said it is important to remember on the eve of America’s 250th birthday that the Declaration of Independence is soiled with a “slur” against Native Americans.

Blackwell talked about it during a segment on First of All on Saturday morning.

He said most Americans are familiar with founding document’s opening, where it says “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

But he said not as many people know that further down, the Founders condemned King George III for encouraging “merciless Indian Savages.”

Here is that full section:

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

Blackwell said he was not too familiar with that part of the Declaration of Independence himself until recently. But he said it is important to note — and for more people to acknowledge the historical racism against Native Americans heading into the country’s bday.

He then welcomed on Rebecca Nagle, a Native American activist and writer. Nagle said Americans are programmed to celebrate the “lofty ideals” of the Declaration of Independence, without grappling with the the “founders’ deep hatred for indigenous people.”

She added a lot of Native Americans struggle with celebrating the country’s founding because of the U.S. government’s treatment of them in the past. She added people who complain about the state of the USA under President Donald Trump would not be so shocked if they understood American history better.

“We’re living through a political moment where a lot of people are asking questions like, how could this be happening in the United States? What happened to our democracy? How did we get here?” Nagle said. “And what I would say to that is, that I think right now in our country, we are struggling with how America got to where we are, because actually we don’t know how it started.”

Their comments come a week before America celebrates its 250th birthday. It has been a fairly popular topic on cable news of late, including when MS NOW’s Ali Velshi whined he felt a “deep unease” about celebrating the Fourth of July because of the country’s “unresolved racial politics.”

Watch above.

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!