Biden Administration places ‘harmful language’ warning on U.S. Constitution at National Archives catalog

By
Suzanne Downing
-
13

The National Archives catalog has placed warnings on founding documents of the United States, telling researchers and viewers that the language contained in them may be found harmful.

One such warning is shown above the U.S. Constitution.

See National Archives warning verbiage at this link.

According to the warning, items in the National Archive may:

  • reflect racist, sexist, ableist, misogynistic/misogynoir, and xenophobic opinions and attitudes;
  • be discriminatory towards or exclude diverse views on sexuality, gender, religion, and more;
  • include graphic content of historical events such as violent death, medical procedures, crime, wars/terrorist acts, natural disasters and more;
  • demonstrate bias and exclusion in institutional collecting and digitization policies.

The National Archives says its mission is to preserve and provide access to the permanent records of the federal government. It also appears to not want to trigger anyone and will go to great lengths to avoid offending people.

In doing so, it has raised the ire of several commenters underneath the copy of the Constitution in the Archives online catalog:

Is there a good reason that there is a “Harmful Language Alert” at the top of this document? I can only assume the Three-fifths Compromise and even that has been remedied by Amendments thereafter.     
MsAmWi  2 hours ago – Edited 

Are you serious?!? You put a “Harmful Language Alert” at the top of the CONSTITUTION?? You should be ashamed of yourselves. Every one of you should be fired and replaced with someone who actually loves this country. Why are my taxes paying the salaries of people who hate the USA and feel like they have to apologize for everything in its history? Why are you pandering to the people who have to look for a reason to be offended? SHAME ON YOU!     
cjanderson  3 hours ago 

There are very few people who live in the United States who are going to be truly and honestly insulted or injured by the language of this sacred document! And if they are offended, they are not TRUE AMERICANS! Get rid of this “Harmful Language Alert”, you snowflakes! You do not speak for the majority of us. Shame on You!    
QuiltingSheep  3 hours ago 

The committee & management responsible for the “Harmful Language Alert” – need to be fired and replaced with adults. They appear incapable of making a rational decision. Once more Americans find out about the alert, you will be forced to take it down I have no doubt. SHAME, SHAME ON YOU.     
ForrestGump  4 hours ago – Edited 

I served almost three decades in the Army and I am a retired Paratrooper and combat veteran. I swore an oath to “support and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic” that has no expiration date. I have friends that have paid the ultimate sacrifice in doing this. I’m offended by the warning at the top of this page. It craps on all of us who has ever sworn this oath. Shame on you!!!     
AirborneDaddy  5 hours ago 

Several comments on the topic had been removed by the National Archives staff:

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