In celebration of the Fourth of July, NPR tweeted out the Declaration of Independence, but some Trump supporters got a little confused.
As the news organization tweeted out the document in 140-character chunks Tuesday, President Donald Trump’s supporters accused NPR of trying to incite violence or a revolution, apparently misconstruing references to King George III of England, who is repeatedly called a “tyrant” and “unfit to be the ruler.”
241 years ago today, church bells rang out over Philadelphia as the Declaration of Independence was adopted https://t.co/PAcHgLqOUE
— NPR (@NPR) July 4, 2017
NPR has a 29-year tradition of reading the Declaration of Independence on air on the Fourth of July, and this year the radio site’s Twitter account followed along online.
As phrases like “unworthy the Head of a civilized nation” and “a Tyrant is unfit to be the ruler of a free people” were tweeted, the confusion was evident.
“Please stop. This is not the right place,” tweeted @cavecreekdeb in a now-deleted tweet.
Apparently, the Independence Day isn’t the “right place” to commemorate the message of the Declaration of Indepence.
The left was quick to pick up on the irony.
there’s nothing more american than getting pissed because you think the declaration of independence is shitting on the president pic.twitter.com/gkWSTR8SIY
— Goth Ms. Frizzle (@spookperson) July 4, 2017
And when NPR got to the part where it says, “it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government,” people really started losing it.
it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government,
— NPR (@NPR) July 4, 2017
“@NPR So, NPR is calling for revolution. Interesting way to condone the violence while trying to sound “patriotic”. Your implications are clear,” user @JustEsrafel tweeted.
So, NPR is calling for revolution.
Interesting way to condone the violence while trying to sound “patriotic”.
Your implications are clear.— D.G.Davies (@JustEsrafel) July 4, 2017
Most of the tweets condemning what some thought was NPR’s call to arms against President Trump were deleted once the truth in what NPR was actually saying — the text of the Declaration of Independence — was realized, but some continued to accuse the media company of “bias.”
One person called the Declaration of Independence “trash.”
“@NPR Seriously, this is the dumbest idea I have ever seen on twitter. Literally no one is going to read 5000 tweets about this trash,” Twitter user @darren_mills tweeted.
Seriously, this is the dumbest idea I have ever seen on twitter. Literally no one is going to read 5000 tweets about this trash.
— Darren Mills ?? (@darren_mills) July 4, 2017
Another user, @ScandalSheet wrote, “@NPR DEFUND #NPR let the Hollywood Elites pay for your biased propaganda,” on a post NPR made commemorating the 241st anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia.
DEFUND #NPR let the Hollywood Elites pay for your biased propaganda
— Diesel ???? (@ScandalSheet) July 4, 2017
At least one Twitter user owned up to his mistake.
“…and had a stupid moment. Never underestimate one’s capacity to learn. Sometimes it’s painful. But it’s valuable above pride,” @JustEsrafel tweeted.
Dave, what better lesson to learn than at the hands of your countrymen?
The DOI WAS a call for revolution. I took NPR out of context. …— D.G.Davies (@JustEsrafel) July 5, 2017
…and had a stupid moment.
Never underestimate one’s capacity to learn. Sometimes it’s painful. But it’s valuable above pride.— D.G.Davies (@JustEsrafel) July 5, 2017
