Should Gateway Arch be a National Park?
I would say NO for the following reasons:
1) According to the NPS nomenclature: Generally, a national park contains a variety of resources and encompasses large land or water areas. They objected at the time.
Gateway Arch is the smallest park by far and does not encompass large land or water areas. It also ignores land conservation ideals that are typical of most National Parks, where biodiversity is often a goal. It has no biodiversity except that found in a city park. This sets a bad example. What next? Declaring Grand Central Park a national park to honor Wall Street for providing the capital to build this nation?
2) It is commerative and this fits the idea of a National Monument which is was before it was renamed. It is primarily historical and should be a National Monument or a Historic park.
3) Many of the National Parks are spectacular views of nature. This one has a man made structure.
4) It commemorates Manifest Destiny which lead to the stealing of land and the genocide of Native Americans. Is this really something we want to celebrate? Realistically, if we hadn’t taken the land some other country would have but that doesn’t mean we had to be as cruel as we were and as unfaithful in our treaties. Around the same time, the size of the new Bears Ears National Monument carefully negotiated with Native Americans was diminished, which hints at the reason for the park. Of course, increased revenue for the area was also a factor.
5) It commemorates racism in this country by noting how we failed Dred Scott who filed in court to become free because he had already been free in some states he had lived in. The Supreme Court decided against him, ruling that African-Americans were not citizens and had no right to sue. This decision was a disgrace.
6) This court also ruled against St. Louis suffragette Virginia Minor whose civil suit argued for women’s right to vote. Although racism and misogyny are part of American history, I see no reason to celebrate them.
It is more appropriate to make it a National Historical Park because history is a mixed bag. A National Park should be something we can all be proud of.