A powerful response to the Trump administration’s cuts to the National Park Service took place on Saturday, February 22, 2025, when Yosemite National Park staffers hung a massive American flag upside down at the top of El Capitan. Displaying the nation’s flag in this manner is a sign of anguish or extreme danger for the country or the individual(s) flying the “distress flag.”
In this case, the display conveyed both meanings. So many of us, and especially those who are transgender, have been adversely impacted by the Trump administration’s recent executive orders and the cuts to vital services made by billionaire Elon Musk and the new so-called Department of Government Efficiency.
As part of those actions, at least 1,000 national park workers have been fired. These were people who worked to maintain and clean parks, to educate visitors, and who performed other essential functions.
Consider this: the annual budget of Yosemite National Park—one of the nation’s great treasures with iconic features such as the granite cliffs of El Capitan and Half Dome—has had an annual budget of about $30 million dollars. Roughly that same amount was spent in February to allow President Trump to visit the Super Bowl and the Daytona 500.
The beauty of Yosemite is appreciated by visitors of different political party affiliations, and it is hard to imagine that even staunch Republicans are unreservedly supporting the cuts to Yosemite’s staff and budget and the country’s other national parks. The cuts have already resulted in chaos, with visitors experiencing long lines, canceled rentals, and other problems. There have even been calls to close Yosemite to help preserve it and to minimize the risk of its destruction in light of the cuts.
The distress flag on El Capitan, which has an elevation of 7,573 feet, evokes the present state of our country and the National Park System. As a result, it resonated with many of us. Here, at the San Francisco Bay Times, we encourage you to read Joanie Juster’s piece and to take action as she instructs. We will continue to follow the resistance movement as it continues to form and strengthen.
A Nation in Distress
Published on February 27, 2025
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