Arkansas Republican Senator Tom Cotton is facing ridicule online after a highly passionate speech about the legacy of the Pilgrims and the Mayflower.
During the speech, Cotton said of the Pilgrims:
"Their faith, their bravery, their wisdom places them in the American pantheon. Alongside the patriots of 1776, the Pilgrims of 1620 deserve the honor of American founders."
He next bemoaned Americans' lack of enthusiasm about 2020 being the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower's voyage to North America.
"Sadly, however, there appear to be few commemoration, parades, or festivals to celebrate the pilgrims this year."
He then blamed "the radical left" for this lack of celebrations, rather than the much more likely cause, the pandemic.
"Perhaps, in part, because revisionist charlatans of the radical left have lately claimed the previous year as America's true founding."
"Some — too many — may have lost the civilizational self-confidence needed to celebrate the Pilgrims."
You can view a clip of Senator Cotton's speech here:
Representative Ilhan Omar had no patience for Cotton's clinging to the easily disproven myth of the Pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving.
Cotton responded to Omar's tweet, but didn't really seem to get her message.
It didn't take long for people to start mocking Senator Cotton on Twitter.
Many people pointed out that the version of pilgrim history many Americans were taught in school is a complete fabrication.
Several people questioned whether Cotton also believed in other fanciful things, like Santa Claus.
Some people asserted that Cotton knows the true history and was just putting on a show for his base.
Many people also criticized his focus on the Pilgrims during a time when the pandemic is devastating our country, including his constituents in Arkansas.
While Senator Cotton seems to be fixated on the false narrative of the Pilgrims' journey to North America, and what they did when they got here, others are focused on America's future.
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