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FIRST ON FOX: A Wisconsin Democrat backed by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. and running for Senate has repeatedly trashed the United States, calling the Founding Fathers “awful” and decrying America’s history as “a colonial, slave holding, sexist past.”
Independence Day is the quintessential American holiday: an explosion-filled reminder of our triumph over the British and the founding of our country.
However, critics of America and her history have become louder in recent years, with some even running for office.
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Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes is running for Senate as a Democrat in Wisconsin against incumbent Senator Ron Johnson, a Republican. (Dylan Buell/Getty Images for VIBE)
One of those critics is Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes, a Democrat who is running for Senate in the Cheese State.
Barnes has taken aim at America’s history throughout his career, and the Fourth of July gets no pass.
In 2019, the Wisconsin Senate candidate used the holiday as a platform to attack the country as having “a long tradition of separating children from families—from selling African American children as slaves to boarding schools that ripped Native American children from their parents.”
The Wisconsin Democrat pulled a similar move on Independence Day 2020 while the George Floyd protests and riots took place, blasting America as having “a long tradition of injustice.”
“This nation has a long tradition of injustice—from enslaving Africans and selling them as property to genocidal actions against Indigenous peoples, to the forms of systemic racism and violence Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color experience to this day,” Barnes wrote on Facebook.
“But the reckoning we have witnessed over the last few months has reaffirmed my belief that we can change the course of our nation,” he continued. “The diverse, multi-generational coalition of people marching for justice are demanding that we finally live up to the promises of unalienable rights inscribed in our Declaration of Independence—and that we extend these rights to all people.”
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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., on the left, endorsed Barnes for Senate. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
Independence Day is not the only American holiday Barnes has attacked — he told Wisconsinites on Thanksgiving 2020 “to reconcile the meaning behind this holiday” before decrying it as “a painful reminder of the atrocities committed against Indigenous communities.”
“And while this holiday celebrates some of the first immigrants to this land, this is juxtaposed with the unspeakable cruelty we see at our borders,” Barnes wrote.
“The truth is, this country was founded on the backs of people who were enslaved on land that was stolen, and these injustices continue to permeate our society,” the Senate candidate continued. “We must do more to rectify these historic and current day injustices — especially as we face the worst public health crisis of our lifetimes.”
“As we reflect on this holiday, I’m grateful for all those who are fighting to address these deep and systemic injustices to create a more equitable and inclusive country for everyone,” he added.
Barnes also appeared to call the founding of the U.S. “awful” in an August 2021 speech.
“Things were terrible because the founding of this nation? Awful,” Barnes said. “But you know, we are here now and we should commit ourselves to doing everything we can do to repair the harm because it still exists today – the harm, the damage – whether it was colonization, whether it was slavery, the impacts are felt today.”
“And they’re going to continue to be felt unless we address it in a meaningful way,” he continued.
Additionally, Barnes claimed in 2021 that the Founding Fathers’ intent “has been used as the basis of oppression for too long” and that America “should be making decisions based on the future, not the raw ideals of a colonial, slave holding, sexist past.”
“It feels like we’re guided by mistakes instead of being informed by them,” he tweeted.
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The Democrat also dismissed President George Washington significance in U.S. history over the first president owning slaves.
Barnes also appeared to refer to respecting the president’s constitutional authority in regards to former President Trump’s tweets as “sheep talk.”
Barnes just received a coveted endorsement from “Squad” leader Ocasio-Cortez, who pushed packing the Supreme Court and ending the filibuster alongside it.
However, progressive policies have become the elephant in the room among high gas prices and rising inflation.
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Regardless, the Ocasio-Cortez endorsement will likely help Barnes secure the Cheese State progressive vote.
Barnes’ campaign did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
