Ben & Jerry's Asks America on July 4th to Return Stolen Land

Ben and Jerry's drew a line in the sand on the 4th of July -- turning the cold shoulder on blind American patriotism, and demanding the U.S. return stolen land dating back centuries.

The famed ice cream company -- which has gotten increasingly political over the years -- threw up a bold statement Tuesday for the holiday ... which, inevitably, pissed off about half the country, especially considering the occasion.

They took to Twitter, writing, "The United States was founded on stolen indigenous land. This Fourth of July, let’s commit to returning it." Pretty straightforward, but also ... polarizing.

B & J's website echoed a similar sentiment but hit the point home even further -- where they argued that Independence Day celebrations could, perhaps, "distract from an essential truth about this nation’s birth." As far as their game plan, they wanna start with Mt. Rushmore.

Here's what they have to say, "What is the meaning of Independence Day for those whose land this country stole, those who were murdered and forced with brutal violence onto reservations, those who were pushed from their holy places and denied their freedom."

Ben and Jerry's continues ... "The faces on Mount Rushmore are the faces of men who actively worked to destroy Indigenous cultures and ways of life, to deny Indigenous people their basic rights."

As you can imagine, their stance here drew the ire of many on social media ... some of whom accused the brand of being a traitor to the country for pushing out what they consider anti-American views on the biggest national holiday meant to celebrate America.