GETTYSBURG, Pa. — Right now there are efforts on a national and state level to further protect public monuments and statues from being vandalized. As President Trump signs an executive order to strengthen penalties, a Pennsylvania lawmaker has drafted similar legislation.
Today, officials with the U.S. Department of Interior toured areas of Gettysburg and met with park staff to talk about additional steps to protect sites from being vandalized.
Monuments commemorating confederate soldiers have sparked outrage and been the targets of vandalism across the country. Many have been torn down by protestors who say the statues glorify those who fought for slavery.
"It's a terrible way to express your opinion," Rob Wallace, Asst. Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks, United States Department of the Interior, said. "There's an orderly process for debating memorials in the United States."
Members of the U.S. Department of the Interior visited Gettysburg Thursday to tout an executive order signed by President Trump last month, saying the federal government could withhold support from state and local law enforcement agencies who fail to protect those public monuments, memorials, and statues.
"These monuments will stay in place," David Vela, acting director of the National Park Service, said. "Every national park has an important story. And some folks may not like that story. It's a tough story, depending on the person."
On Sunday, the president tweeted, "No radical left anarchists, agitators, looters or protesters will not be knocking down or harming the Washington monument, the Lincoln or Jefferson memorials, or just about any other federal monument or statue. If they even try, an automatic ten years in prison."
"If you commit a crime, you need to do the time," State Senator Doug Mastriano, who represents Adams, Cumberland, Franklin, and York Counties, said. "It's time that Pennsylvania steps up and does as much as the federal government is to protect the monuments."
Mastriano agrees with the President's order, and is now trying to introduce similar legislation on the state level. A co-sponsorship memo sent out Wednesday said he intends to introduce a bill that will, "defend the heritage and history of Pennsylvania, by combatting the desecration of historic monuments."
"I'm really concerned about the disrespect and actually the hate from some people in our generation that's rising up here," Mastriano said. "I don't know why we're so offended so easily these days. It's time to toughen up a little bit. Not everything in life is roses and peaches."
FOX43 asked Governor Wolf if he would sign this bill, should it reach his desk. A spokesperson for his office tells us, "Amid the increase in cases of COVID-19 in the state, the Governor is focused on protecting the lives of Pennsylvanians, not monuments."
Mastriano believes Governor Wolf would sign the bill.
"I believe because it's simply the right thing to do," Mastriano said. "These here mark where sacrifice by men and women like you and I served and fought to defend our country and actually to set other men free."
Mastriano said he plans to introduce this bill in the coming week.