First, the National Park Service "closed" the open-air WWII Memorial.
Next, they attempted to block people from even looking at Mount Rushmore.
Now, park rangers are forcing private citizens out of privately owned homes due to the government shutdown. They have even barricaded the road, ensuring that they will not be allowed to return to their homes.
From KTNV News:
Joyce Spencer is 77-years-old and her husband Ralph is 80. They've been spending most of their time in the family ice cream store since going home isn't an option.
The Spencers never expected to be forced out of their Lake Mead home, which they've owned since the 70s, but on Thursday, a park ranger said they had 24 hours to get out.
"I had to go to town today and buy Ralph undershirts and jeans because I forgot his pants," Joyce Spencer told Action News.
The Stewart's Point home sits on federal land, so even though the Spencers own their cabin outright, they're not allowed in until the government reopens.
There have been 17 shutdowns since the mid 1970s. Considering Joyce Spencer's surprise at being forced out of her home, it is a safe assumption that this has never happened before. Forcing the Spencers to leave their private home this time around is just absolutely ridiculous.
I wish I could say I was surprised, but given the track record of this administration, nothing is really a shock anymore.