The association of the Gadsden Flag with Trump MAGA politics has to be one of the most blatant displays of historical ignorance, and political deception ever experienced in American politics. We have more than our fair share of historical failure and political backwardness in this country. But support for Trump seems to have brought out the absolute worst collective ignorance that exists across the country, and put it on display.
The Gadsden flag has a yellow background with a black illustration that depicts a rattlesnake with thirteen rattles, coiled and ready to strike. Underneath are the words, "DON'T TREAD ON ME." Some of the more modern versions include the apostraphe in "don't," while it is missing in older versions. The rattlesnake is a representation of the unity of the thirteen colonies at the outset of the American Revolution. It is used in other symbolic American political statements in similar fashion, such as in Benjamin Franklin's "Join or Die" woodcut in 1754.
Symbolically, the rattlesnake represents the colonists, and the fact that it is coiled and ready to strike indicates the development of a willingness to defend the individualism and liberty that had developed over time during the settlement of the colonies. As the British monarchy acted to protect its financial and political interests over the resources and people in the colonies, and began to limit individual freedom by subjugating colonists, many of them determined they were going to fight to defend what they had earned by their own hard work.
MAGA Use of the Gadsden Flag is a Gross Distortion of its Symbolism
The appropriation of this symbol by Trump's Maga supporters, and their attempt at identifying with the cause that it represents is a gross distortion of its symbolism and meaning by those who are themselves engaged in politics aimed at repressing the individualism and freedom of people who don't look like they do. This is an ignorant and hateful mob aimed at subjugating entire segments of the American population in order to create an oligarchy of the rich, benefitting only those with the power of personal wealth at the expense of all other Americans. They are following a racist bigot whose aim is to stuff his pockets with our money. And he's sure put that scam on his Maga base.
Here's the question that begs an answer. I want to know the answer to this question, supported by factual evidence, not lies off the top of that orange head.
"What individual rights or freedoms of yours have been trampled?" I dare you to name one, and then support your contention with factual evidence.
Because here's how I see it.
White Americans, especially white, Christian males, are the single most privileged group in the United States, especially if they are wealthy. In addition to the bigotry, racism and misogyny that exists, which already elevates them over every other ethnic, racial and cultural minority group in this country, they have enough wealth to buy the kind of justice that is denied to women, and to every other racial, ethnic, social and cultural minority group in this country.
In the legal and justice system, they universally receive the benefit of the doubt, and that factual evidence that I was just talking about overwhelmingly proves the point I'm making here. The whole attitude of this racist bigotry is characterized by Trump's now infamous remark about shooting someone in the middle of Fifth Avenue, and no one doing anything about it.
The man has committed a cataract of crimes throughout his life, and he's whining and moaning about being convicted on 34 felony counts, which required the full resources of a state attorney general's office to pull off. Where is there a working class, black, Latino, Asian or even Caucasian male who would have been able to put off a trial for as long as Trump did? And if one of them had mouthed off and threatened the judge or his family, and violated a gag order, how long would it have been before they were grabbed by police and kept in the darkest corner of a jail?
Who, among the people of the United States, can afford the kind of lawyers it takes to get the federal judicial system to delay justice if they had incited a riot that led to the trashing of the US Capitol, the deaths of five police officers, and an attempted coup against the government? As we have seen, by the evidence, most of those who committed crimes as a result of their participation in that insurrection have already been charged, tried, adjudicated and imprisoned. The perpetrator and organizer of it, however, is a rich, white male who has paid millions to lawyers to prevent his being brought to justice. He's not only not paying for that crime, four years later, he's campaigning to be the President of the country whose Capitol building he trashed, and whose government he attacked. That's so wrong, in so many ways.
So who's liberties and individual expression is being trampled?
And let's be honest here. Trump is not the only wealthy, white, male bigot who gets away with multiple felonies. Any wealthy, white, male bigot with a financial portfolio has individual liberties that trump, and I use that term deliberately, those of the rest of us Americans who work for a living, live from paycheck to paycheck, pay our taxes and take our vacations in the back yard.
It's Trump Who is Doing The Treading--On YOU!
And I'm going to be brutally honest here. Anyone in this country who does work for a living, lives paycheck to paycheck, becomes dependent on social security and medicare as their only retirement benefits, struggles to pay bills, and respects the rule of law is ignorant and foolish if they are voting for Donald Trump in the coming election. Those who still support him and who aren't rich, white, men, need to take a close and careful look at his agenda, and at what he tells his diminished rally crowds he's going to do, to find out just how heavy those treading boots are going to be if he manages to eke out a win in November.
Start with the agenda of Project 2025. Those who are not white, not conservative, Evangelical Fundamentalists, and not relatively well off will be the first individuals in this country to lose their liberty. This is the key issue of this election, people! I subtly and strongly suggest that those who are fooling around the edges with things like "Biden is too old," and the Gaza war, and inflation (which is the sign of a prosperous economy) better take a hard look at this. I also not so subtly suggest that they remove their head from their rear end, shake themselves really hard, slap themselved across the face a couple of times, kick themselves in the back side if that's possible, and make a commitment to either send in a mail-in ballot, or show up at the polls in November and cast a straight ticket Democrat ballot.
Every American who goes to the polls and votes in this election is refuting the claim that the election was stolen. If they really believed that, and it was a sincere conviction, they would not show up to cast their ballot, because that would make them a liar and a hypocrite. Those who believe, sincerely, that elections in this country can be stolen, should act on those convictions and refrain from participating in the process. Every single one of us who believes that elections in this nation are the most secure and honest in the world needs to make sure we cast our ballot in November. That is the surest way to make sure that someone "DOESN'T TREAD ON ME!"
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