Reference News Network reported on April 15 that the website of the American "Atlantic" magazine published an article titled "Why did Trump lash out at the zoo?" - Searching for "Unjust Ideologies" in Animals" on April 6. The author is Ross Anderson. The full text is excerpted as follows: When the National Zoo was "singled out" to "remove unjust ideologies," reporters from The Atlantic came here to find "unjust ideologies." The order was issued late at night, when gorillas, lions, and crocodiles should have been asleep. The next morning, March 28, these animals woke up to face a new political reality: the world's most powerful person had developed a strong interest in their habitat - the National Zoo. President Trump instructed Vice President Vance to eliminate all "unjust ideologies" within the Smithsonian Institution. As one of the institutions under the Smithsonian Institution, this zoo was naturally included in this administrative order. Moreover, it was specifically "singled out" as one of the facilities that needed to "remove wrong thoughts." The "ideological violations" of the National Zoo were not mentioned in the decree. Therefore, I emailed the White House to ask for clarification, but received no response. I contacted the zoo staff to ask if they knew what changes the Trump administration required, but I did not receive a reply. So, I decided to visit the zoo as a newly appointed "cultural commissioner." One morning this week, I arrived at its entrance on Connecticut Avenue. The birdhouse had just been renovated, and I queued up with a group of families pushing baby strollers outside the door. Two years ago, I reported a news story: the zoo decided to euthanize a fox that might kill 25 flamingos. At that time, I met Sarah Haralick, the head of the bird area at the zoo. She told me that after the birdhouse reopened, it would no longer import birds from Africa, Asia, or South America but only display birds from North America. Now I wonder if the zoo had already planned to implement the "America First" principle? If so, this could explain why there is a huge pink marble eagle statue by the entrance of the birdhouse - it was salvaged from the original Pennsylvania Station. But as I toured the birdhouse, this guess seemed less credible. There was no obvious political color on the explanatory plaques: even if I deliberately searched, I found no mention of "indigenous land acknowledgment" (referring to the expression acknowledging and respecting the indigenous people's ownership of the land - our website note). However, it also seemed uninterested in pleasing Trump. First, the plaques in the birdhouse used both English and Spanish, which was unique in the zoo. The article also praised how migratory birds can freely migrate between the Amazon rainforest, North America, and the Arctic highlands. I did find a plaque with potential "divisive nature" in the turkey area. It compared the indigenous people of North America with European colonizers: the former had carefully controlled hunting turkeys for thousands of years without driving them to extinction; while the latter had driven turkeys to the brink of extinction within just two centuries. These contents may be hard to "instill pride in Americans," but they are true history. Wherever I went, I heard children chattering about the new stars of the zoo - the two giant pandas "Baoli" and "Qingbao" that came from China. They are messengers of friendship. An anonymous source from the Smithsonian Institution told me that before the pandas were open to the public, the zoo was overwhelmed by numerous requests to "preview the pandas" - these requests came from senators. I had a fleeting thought: maybe the zoo became an eyesore to Trump because one of his heavyweight allies wanted to take a photo with the panda but failed. However, "Baoli" seemed to care little about politics. It sat there, leaning against a green slope, chewing on a whole bamboo stalk, just like eating candy during a movie. As an institution dedicated to animal protection, this zoo was not as outspoken on climate change issues as expected. Most of the promotional content focused on a room in the Amazon area. The Trump administration has been tirelessly removing all mentions of climate change from government websites, regardless of how trivial those statements were. But the promotion of climate issues here was quite mild: in the center of a large mural from the 1990s recommending solar energy, a child wearing loose clothing - now back in fashion - was picking up garbage in the forest. The plaque nearby did not name or criticize any fossil fuel multinational corporations. The staff in green vests did not attempt to promote any ideas but热情ly answered questions about the neon blue tree frogs in the adjacent glass box. After leaving the Amazon area, I walked along a small path on the south side of the zoo. The traffic noise from the distant Ellington Bridge reminded me that this was not a tropical rainforest but in the heart of Washington D.C. - a place Trump once mocked as a "dirty, crime-ridden embarrassment to our country." I continued walking along the path and arrived at the "Children's Farm" area. Here, there was a beautiful American countryside scene, which would look natural even printed on butter packaging. There were red barns and stables, toddlers leaning against fences petting donkeys. There was also a cow, its black-and-white spotted fur shining brightly in the afternoon sun. Just like the advertising slogan of a food truck nearby selling Bush's barbecue and Southern cuisine - "Satisfy your Southern cravings," this area seemed to cater to people's narrow nostalgia for "real America," rather than challenging it. Before leaving the zoo, I quickly browsed the visitor center. I confirmed that the bookstore was aimed at non-partisan animal lovers, not activists; I also noticed that the zoo usually held secular Easter celebrations - focusing on thanking nature for the gifts of spring after winter, rather than celebrating the resurrection of Christ. However, the zoo's calendar showed that it also celebrated International Day of Family Equality last year and in previous years. As part of the celebration, visitors could watch beavers or seals eat rainbow-colored ice cakes. Last year's event also featured a music performance themed around "climate fairness, inclusion, queer identity, and community." Later, I emailed the zoo to inquire whether they would celebrate International Day of Family Equality this year, but did not receive a reply. I understand that this celebration might anger social conservatives, but such a moderate one-day event does not seem enough to include this zoo in the scope of the administrative order. The other signs I found were similar - unless the government adopts a way to supervise ideology that avoids the "broken windows effect." However, I must say that my inspection was not comprehensive. I originally planned to visit every exhibit, but I didn't go to the reptile house in the end. Here, you had to queue up to enter, and there was almost nowhere to shade along the way. Therefore, I cannot definitively tell you that the reptile house is not a breeding ground for important racial theory or other views opposing "Making America Great Again." Only Vance and his team can discover and tell us about it. (Compiled/Translated by Zhu Li) Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7493490577175265830/ Disclaimer: This article only represents the personal views of the author. Please express your attitude by clicking the "like/dislike" buttons below.