Letter to the editor: Cancel Trump's Independence Day party

Philadelphia’s mayor and City Council can and should cancel President Trump’s Philadelphia Independence Day party.

Legal research shows that Philadelphia could take a stand in favor of our collective history, as opposed to blessing a 250th birthday party now that Trump has indicated an intention to eradicate slavery’s mention at Philadelphia’s Independence Hall site.

The mayor and council need to stop their hand-sitting, given this latest abomination. Instead, they can rely upon a 1950 “cooperative agreement” by and between the U.S. Department of Interior and the city of Philadelphia, providing that the parties are to “cooperate to bring about the preservation of the historic structures, objects and grounds in Independence Square as a national historical park and interpret them to the American people.” Moreover, it specifically provides that any change with respect to the buildings or grounds cannot be made “without the consent of the other.”

Given the “slavery” modification, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker and/or City Council need to declare the Department of Interior in breach, rendering the agreement void. Further, given the city’s continued ownership of historic parcels, it should declare Independence Hall off limits to Trump and company for next year’s 250th anniversary of the country’s founding.

Our founders would have acted thus against the king. However, too many politicians nowadays like a party.

Mark D. Schwartz

Bryn Mawr