Rick Santorum Slammed for Saying America Was Birthed From Nothing, There 'Isn't Much Native American Culture'
CNN's Rick Santorum is being heavily criticized for insisting that the United States was built on a blank slate, ignoring the history and culture of the country's Indigenous people.
© Alex Wong/Getty Images Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) speaks during a news conference on health care September 13, 2017 on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Santorum, now a political commentator for CNN, is being criticized for for saying Americans birthed a nation from nothing and that there "isn't much Native American culture in American culture.”
Santorum, the network's senior political commentator and a former GOP congressman, made the remarks during the student organization Young America's Foundation's Standing Up for Faith & Freedom conference last week.
"We birthed a nation from nothing. I mean, there was nothing here," Santorum said. "I mean, yes we have Native Americans, but candidly there isn't much Native American culture in American culture."
He continued, "It was born of the people who came here pursuing religious liberty to practice their faith, to live as they ought to live and have the freedom to do so. Religious liberty. Those are the two bulwarks of America. Faith and freedom."
Santorum added that while other countries have "changed over time," the United States hasn't evolved culturally since Christian settlers from Europe had to build America from nothing.
The Pennsylvania Republican received swift backlash on social media, with many calling for him to be removed from CNN's lineup.
"Well then @CNN. Come get your nativist, revisionist, racist boy," author Roxane Gay tweeted.
Jaime Harrison, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, tweeted: "Seriously is anyone surprised to hear this hot garbage coming from Rick Santorum?! Nothing was here?! No native American culture in American culture?! America hasn't changed?!"
Seriously is any one surprised to hear this hot garbage coming from Rick Santorum?!
Nothing was here?! No native American culture in American culture?! America hasn’t changed?!
Ok @CNN ... ok! https://t.co/fGjJTf3u1m— Jaime Harrison, DNC Chair (@harrisonjaime) April 26, 2021
The Palmer Report directly addressed CNN, writing in a tweet: "Hey CNN do you agree with what your employee Rick Santorum said about Native Americans, or are you going to fire him?"
Brian Sims, a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, wrote in a Twitter post that Santorum's comments were "RACIST TRASH."
"There are countless reasons why Pennsylvania is ashamed of Rick Santorum," Sims wrote. "One of our most racist, xenophobic and bigoted exports, this Google stain deserves no attention and @CNN has to do the work of removing and apologizing for the amplification they give him."
Meghan McCain, a co-host of ABC's The View and daughter of the late GOP senator John McCain, tweeted: "Rick Santorum has always been an absolute a**hole - this is so ignorant and dangerous. I was raised learning, respecting and appreciating Native American culture in Arizona, specifically Hopi and Navajo. So much so that a Navajo flutist and drummer performed at my dads funeral."
Newsweek reached out to CNN for comment on the backlash to Santorum's remarks but did not receive a response before publication.
Alexandra HutzlerNEWSWEEK 4/26/2021
CNN's Rick Santorum is being heavily criticized for insisting that the United States was built on a blank slate, ignoring the history and culture of the country's Indigenous people.
© Alex Wong/Getty Images Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) speaks during a news conference on health care September 13, 2017 on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Santorum, now a political commentator for CNN, is being criticized for for saying Americans birthed a nation from nothing and that there "isn't much Native American culture in American culture.”
Santorum, the network's senior political commentator and a former GOP congressman, made the remarks during the student organization Young America's Foundation's Standing Up for Faith & Freedom conference last week.
"We birthed a nation from nothing. I mean, there was nothing here," Santorum said. "I mean, yes we have Native Americans, but candidly there isn't much Native American culture in American culture."
He continued, "It was born of the people who came here pursuing religious liberty to practice their faith, to live as they ought to live and have the freedom to do so. Religious liberty. Those are the two bulwarks of America. Faith and freedom."
Santorum added that while other countries have "changed over time," the United States hasn't evolved culturally since Christian settlers from Europe had to build America from nothing.
The Pennsylvania Republican received swift backlash on social media, with many calling for him to be removed from CNN's lineup.
"Well then @CNN. Come get your nativist, revisionist, racist boy," author Roxane Gay tweeted.
Jaime Harrison, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, tweeted: "Seriously is anyone surprised to hear this hot garbage coming from Rick Santorum?! Nothing was here?! No native American culture in American culture?! America hasn't changed?!"
Seriously is any one surprised to hear this hot garbage coming from Rick Santorum?!
Nothing was here?! No native American culture in American culture?! America hasn’t changed?!
Ok @CNN ... ok! https://t.co/fGjJTf3u1m— Jaime Harrison, DNC Chair (@harrisonjaime) April 26, 2021
The Palmer Report directly addressed CNN, writing in a tweet: "Hey CNN do you agree with what your employee Rick Santorum said about Native Americans, or are you going to fire him?"
Brian Sims, a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, wrote in a Twitter post that Santorum's comments were "RACIST TRASH."
"There are countless reasons why Pennsylvania is ashamed of Rick Santorum," Sims wrote. "One of our most racist, xenophobic and bigoted exports, this Google stain deserves no attention and @CNN has to do the work of removing and apologizing for the amplification they give him."
Meghan McCain, a co-host of ABC's The View and daughter of the late GOP senator John McCain, tweeted: "Rick Santorum has always been an absolute a**hole - this is so ignorant and dangerous. I was raised learning, respecting and appreciating Native American culture in Arizona, specifically Hopi and Navajo. So much so that a Navajo flutist and drummer performed at my dads funeral."
Newsweek reached out to CNN for comment on the backlash to Santorum's remarks but did not receive a response before publication.
Santorum, the network's senior political commentator and a former GOP congressman, made the remarks during the student organization Young America's Foundation's Standing Up for Faith & Freedom conference last week.
"We birthed a nation from nothing. I mean, there was nothing here," Santorum said. "I mean, yes we have Native Americans, but candidly there isn't much Native American culture in American culture."
He continued, "It was born of the people who came here pursuing religious liberty to practice their faith, to live as they ought to live and have the freedom to do so. Religious liberty. Those are the two bulwarks of America. Faith and freedom."
Santorum added that while other countries have "changed over time," the United States hasn't evolved culturally since Christian settlers from Europe had to build America from nothing.
The Pennsylvania Republican received swift backlash on social media, with many calling for him to be removed from CNN's lineup.
"Well then @CNN. Come get your nativist, revisionist, racist boy," author Roxane Gay tweeted.
Jaime Harrison, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, tweeted: "Seriously is anyone surprised to hear this hot garbage coming from Rick Santorum?! Nothing was here?! No native American culture in American culture?! America hasn't changed?!"
Seriously is any one surprised to hear this hot garbage coming from Rick Santorum?!
Nothing was here?! No native American culture in American culture?! America hasn’t changed?!
Ok @CNN ... ok! https://t.co/fGjJTf3u1m— Jaime Harrison, DNC Chair (@harrisonjaime) April 26, 2021
The Palmer Report directly addressed CNN, writing in a tweet: "Hey CNN do you agree with what your employee Rick Santorum said about Native Americans, or are you going to fire him?"
Brian Sims, a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, wrote in a Twitter post that Santorum's comments were "RACIST TRASH."
"There are countless reasons why Pennsylvania is ashamed of Rick Santorum," Sims wrote. "One of our most racist, xenophobic and bigoted exports, this Google stain deserves no attention and @CNN has to do the work of removing and apologizing for the amplification they give him."
Meghan McCain, a co-host of ABC's The View and daughter of the late GOP senator John McCain, tweeted: "Rick Santorum has always been an absolute a**hole - this is so ignorant and dangerous. I was raised learning, respecting and appreciating Native American culture in Arizona, specifically Hopi and Navajo. So much so that a Navajo flutist and drummer performed at my dads funeral."
Newsweek reached out to CNN for comment on the backlash to Santorum's remarks but did not receive a response before publication.
SANTORUM NEEDS A CIVICS REFRESHER
SEE MY BLOG POST
Native America and the Evolution of Democracy
An interesting online text on Native Democracy and its impact on colonial America and thus the basis of the libertarian chants democratic that echo through out American history.
Every king hath his council, and that consists of all the
old and wise men of his nation. . . . [N]othing is under-
taken, be it war, peace, the selling of land or traffick,
without advising with them; and which is more, with the
young men also. . . . The kings . . . move by the breath
of their people. It is the Indian custom to deliberate. . . .
I have never seen more natural sagacity.
--William Penn to the
Society of Free Traders,
16 August 1683
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