It’s sure says something when people begin mistaking excerpts from the most famous document in U.S. history as subtweets about our 45th president.
Which is exactly what happened when NPR decided to tweet out the entire Declaration of Independence, straight from the National Archives, catching the attention of Trump supporters thinking the account was really going off about President Donald Trump.
https://twitter.com/ParkerMolloy/status/882404690352320514
https://twitter.com/jbillinson/status/882418386143260673
When you’re triggered by the Declaration of Independence bc you want so badly to submit to King Donald the Doll-Handed…. pic.twitter.com/aEyLEu24Qc
— 🪬 Centrosaurus for Sanity 🪬 (@ElectSanePeople) July 4, 2017
https://twitter.com/ParkerMolloy/status/882407038755713027
Of course, out of context some of these tweets appear to take some sort of political stance for human rights. Because, well, they are political, because they’ve come directly from a call to remove the U.S. from British rule.
that all men are created equal,
— NPR (@NPR) July 4, 2017
it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government,
— NPR (@NPR) July 4, 2017
it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government,
— NPR (@NPR) July 4, 2017
it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government,
— NPR (@NPR) July 4, 2017
And so quite a few of these lines (again, out of context) garnered great attention.
So, NPR is calling for revolution.
— D.G.Davies (@JustEsrafel) July 4, 2017
Interesting way to condone the violence while trying to sound “patriotic”.
Your implications are clear.
I’m all for altering or abolishing!
— Pam B. (@whammus) July 4, 2017
https://twitter.com/wokepolitik/status/882314487461576704
Trump’s supporters grew particularly prickled at this line about, uhh, princes who come off as tyrants…
A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
— NPR (@NPR) July 4, 2017
Of course, as easy as it is to respond with vitriol to a tweet you think is about the president you support, it’s just as simple to delete them once you’re dragged through the internet and back.
And it’s amazing how many people misread this thread and thought NPR was advocating the overthrow of the gov’t! LMAO!
— 二次元ヘルパー (@bagua9527) July 5, 2017
But screenshots? Much like this historical document, those are forever.
https://twitter.com/ParkerMolloy/status/882405812811042816
https://twitter.com/ParkerMolloy/status/882406783989555200
https://twitter.com/ParkerMolloy/status/882407312157278208
H/T @ParkerMolloy