Feds tell school kids: This land is our land!

Another day, another shutdown smack down -- this time involving children and sandcastles.

(Getty Images)

A popular San Francisco sandcastle building contest has been called off after the Golden Gate National Recreation Area informed organizers this week that the feds are throwing cold, salty water on the free, outdoor children’s event.

The “Leap 30th Sandcastle Contest” was planned for this Saturday. As the “San Francisco Appeal” reports, thousands of eager builders were expected to attend, with more than 20 local schools participating.

But, before the kids could get out their shovels and buckets, the long arm of the National Park Service reached out and smashed the sandcastle extravaganza.

In a letter to participants, Leap, the local non-profit arts advocacy group that has held the contest for three decades, explains:

“We were told that we could be fined for trespassing and that our permit was no longer valid. We were also told that our event could be shut down by park rangers or by San Francisco police.”

Bryan Preston of PJ Media reports that the section of beach in question normally has “no lifeguards, no rangers, is permanently open to the public, and requires no funds for day-to-day operations.”

Meanwhile, if there is any question that the National Park Service has unusual priorities, look no further than these videos recently made by the organization. As reported by Fox News prior to the shutdown, the government agency produced a three-part video series praising Islam.

The videos feature children discussing “their experiences and challenges with negative Muslim stereotypes and assumptions.” The videos also promote Islam as a pioneer and champion of women’s rights.

A spokesman for the project explains that “The videos are part of the park’s ongoing effort to share the story of the women’s rights movement and show that the fights for human and civil rights – including the freedom to worship – are struggles that continue to this day.”

How this is relevant to maintaining trails, camp sites, hunting grounds, national monuments, or the general welfare of America’s wildlife, federal lands, lakes, rivers, streams, oceans and beaches is unclear.

But let it be said that when it comes to canceling a popular kiddie contest, the National Park Service is, indeed, subjecting boys and girls to equal treatment.