The Biden administration has quietly backed out of plans to remove a statue of William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania.
The plan was to remove the statue and incorporate a more inclusive display.
It is theorized that the heavy backlash that the announcement caused is the reason for canceling the removal.
Check out the story I wrote a couple days ago that broke down the initial story:
This is just a taste of the backlash that the administration faced after their announcement:
BREAKING: The commies in the Biden admin are removing a statue of William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania, from a site which was his original home.
They’re “rehabilitating” the area to commemorate Native Americans.
The Biden admin is trying to erase our history. They hate… pic.twitter.com/OfdZvuVYjW
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) January 7, 2024
Washington Post shares more on the story:
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) celebrated the news on X, formerly Twitter, writing that the park “will remain the rightful home of this William Penn statue — right here in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Penn founded.”
Welcome Park is located on the site of Penn’s former home and is named after the ship, Welcome, on which Penn rode to Philadelphia, according to the Park Service.
Penn was granted the Charter of Pennsylvania, from King Charles II in 1681, which allowed him and his heirs “the authority to establish laws, as long as they did not conflict with those of England,” according to the Pennsylvania House of Representative’s website. By 1682 Penn outlined how the government should operate, creating a Provincial Council and the General Assembly.
Here is the Pennsylvania Governor's response to X:
My team has been in contact with the Biden Administration throughout the day to correct this decision. I’m pleased Welcome Park will remain the rightful home of this William Penn statue — right here in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Penn founded. https://t.co/awSTpcyrNp
— Governor Josh Shapiro (@GovernorShapiro) January 8, 2024
BREAKING: The plan to remove the William Penn statue has been withdrawn. Most likely from the backlash on X 🔥 https://t.co/bhhAlD5yut pic.twitter.com/8J6WYnlOr2
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) January 9, 2024
More from USA Today:
Several people, including local politicians, took to social media Monday to voice their concerns over the removal of the statue from Welcome Park.
Pennsylvania State Rep. Martina White, a Republican, said on Facebook that she hoped the agency would find a "way to incorporate the statue into the renovations," inviting members of the public to have their voice heard by submitting a comment to the planning committee.
The plan drew intense criticism from conservative commentators and news outlets, saying that William Penn had been "canceled" by the Biden administration.
Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, said his team had been in contact with the Biden administration over the course of the day to "correct this decision."
"I’m pleased Welcome Park will remain the rightful home of this William Penn statue – right here in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Penn founded," Shapiro said.
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