AN ERA OF TRUE ACCESSIBILITY

VM. 018

“We're finally thinking about how we can ensure that parks are for the people, in practice as well as a name, obviously. Historically, for public land use, especially in the West, lands have been used by certain demographics of people. And in recent years, due to the beautiful melting pot that America is, that user base has really expanded. We're entering this era of like, true accessibility, both for people of various and diverse backgrounds and upbringings, also with mental and physical disabilities.

So this sell off of public lands would be devastating. From the boardwalks of Congaree to the hikes of, you know, Valley of Fire State Park. People, they rely so much on this for mental health, for well-being. And we're finally, finally breaking through to an entirely new demographic of people who historically have been underrepresented and silenced in the past.

So, especially right now at this time, this is very much just a punch to the gut. History of being silenced. The trans community is being straight-up disrespected and erased. So to protect all of America stories, from the adorable pika, to the Statue of Liberty to the alligators in the Everglades, we have to band together to get that done. Thank you.”

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