Thursday, August 28, 2014

"There's no remaining honor in Roy Moore's Gadsden flag."

Readers may recall my Flag day speech about flags both false and true. As I said at that time:
We must answer that question at the end of history -- which country does the stars and stripes represent? For in the end it certainly cannot represent both. The Gadsden flag, with its threatening rattlesnake and bold warning "Don't tread on me" is perhaps more plainly honest, more unambiguous, than the stars and stripes. Freed of the burden of being the national colors which seem to be saddled with the necessity of being all things to all people, the Gadsden flag is plain in its declaration of free men and the rights to our own liberty and property and lives. Don't threaten me, it warns. Or, in the words of some of this generation -- "Don't start nothin', won't be nothin'." It is not as blunt as the Gonzales flag of Texas liberty with its image of a cannon and the challenge "Come and take it," but it is close enough, as they say, "for government work."
This is why the Gadsden flag is so popular at rallies of today's liberty movements -- from the Tea Party to the protesters of the Federal land grab at the Bundy Ranch and elsewhere in the west to Second Amendment activists of today -- the message is clear: There is a line, Mr. Government Bureaucrat, that you cross at your own deadly peril. "Don't tread on me." DON'T TREAD ON US! It is for this reason that the collectivists -- the domestic enemies of the Founders' Republic -- are made somewhat angered, if not deranged, by the Gadsden flag. Its sentiment is plain -- it cannot be polluted or corrupted or co-opted. They must therefore do their best to demonize it, to discredit it, to profane it, and to lie about those who fly it. We have seen that very clearly in their reaction to the Miller meth-head murderers' misuse of the Gadsden flag in their Nevada rampage. The flag is itself "anti-government" they proclaim and proof that the Millers represent the rest of us "anti-government types."
Now I don't know about you, but I'm not "anti-government," although the Southern Poverty Law Center has been calling me that for two decades now. I am in fact pro-government of the kind the Founders would recognize. I am pro small government, safe government -- a government of limited powers -- a government that supports the rule of law AND OPERATES WITHIN IT. When our enemies -- those domestic enemies of the Constitution that the Founders warned us about -- call us "anti-government" what they really mean is that we are anti-"do-it-our-way-or-we'll-kill-you" government. Of course they're right about that, but they cannot honestly admit it to others that they are trying to convince, so they call us "anti-government" and hope the lie sticks.
But flags are symbols. They are shorthand for who you are and what you represent. And what you love. So if they can discredit one symbol and co-opt another to their purposes they are more than halfway down the road to their victory of the collective over the individual.
The entire speech transcript may be found here. And in proof of my analysis back in June, we now have this.
However the Tea Party sees the symbol, the Gadsden flag has been adopted by private militias, the Sovereign movement, and radical and racist seditionist conspirators of all kinds. Killers have committed political murder under that symbol. The state's Tea Party might wish to taunt the oppressive federal government, and they should do so, as they have political points to make. But they cannot stand upright under the Gadsden flag.
I will have my own answer to this screed later.

8 comments:

Paul X said...

It's funny about flags. Some look at the stars and stripes and see liberty, opportunity, rolling waves of grain, etc. Others look at that same flag and see tyranny, invasions of other countries, "renditions", etc.

I would never fly the stars and stripes because every vile DC politician wraps himself in it. It is too easy for onlookers to incorrectly deduce that I support the federal government if I fly that flag.

On the other hand, the Gadsden Flag has a much narrower possible interpretation. For one thing it cannot be taken as something DC pols support; the more they or the Ministry of Propaganda dumps on it, the more attractive it is to me ("better to be despised by the despicable...") - and given the low opinion people generally have of Congress and the federal government, I think others may have the same reaction. As to the Millers' use of it, the Ministry may try to besmirch it that way, but I doubt they are going to get any mileage with that.

Sometimes you just have to stop worrying about what evil bastards might say.

Kent McManigal said...

I'm "anti-government" for the same reason I'm "anti-cancer". You can't limit it in any way other than getting rid of it all.

I'm "anti-government" because I am pro-liberty, and "government" won't let liberty exist unmolested. It can't- they are like matter and anti-matter. Liberty is "THE anti-government" and "government" is "THE anti-liberty". When they come into contact, destruction results.

I know, it sounds nice and "civilized" and comforting to "the women and children" to say "I'm not anti-government"... but you'd better examine that stance a bit more closely before it traps you.

If, by "government", you mean "self control" and living by Natural Law, then say that instead. Or your meaning will be misconstrued. "Government", today, always means "The State" in the minds of your friends and neighbors, and The State is built on a foundation of lies and evil.

Tom said...

Is this official Navy flag also a militia symbol

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Navy_Jack

Anonymous said...

Ah....the attempted limitation of free speech by political correctness from the Ministry of Truth. :rolleyes:

Trying to shaming people into not using the Gadsden flag won't work.

Anonymous said...

If the Gadsden flag makes the collectivists nuts, then the t-shirt i wear with the "Veterans Exempt" flag from the battle of Plattsburg in the War of 1812 on the back of it must have them in a straightjacket. Besides saying "Don't Tread on Me" it also invokes the words of our lord - "Thy Will Be Done".

Anonymous said...

Paul X - your last sentence is correct, if we worry about what all others may 'think' we will never do anything.
Tom - there may be some 'militia' group somewhere who has stolen the First Naval Jack as a symbol but not likely. It is still being flown on Navy vessels.

CzarChasm said...

I thought the article was actually about "Roy Moore's Gadsden Flag," but it's not. It's about Roy Moore's support (or original proposal? I don't know, but...) for the Gadsden Flag being printed on one of about 100 (or more) vanity license plates that are available here in Alabama. Now, the article's take on the "modern meaning" of the flag is obvious BS, and calling it "Roy Moore's" flag is even more BS, but even though it's for all the wrong reasons, I agree with the article that the flag is not appropriate for a vanity tag.

These folks that would buy these Gadsden tags are going to show their disdain for the government tramping on their rights by paying the government for an approved tag to attach to their privately owned vehicle so they can receive the privilege of operating their vehicle without being fined or arrested by the state.

The cognitive dissonance of anyone who would throw away good money on that tag is astounding. If one believes in hard-won constitutional liberty, the last place they would go to promulgate that message is through the state that always, always, works towards suppressing it.

Capitalist Eric said...

I took your initial impressions and ran with them...

My comment on their site:

"The  Millers were meth-heads. That you attempt to paint liberty loving people as the equivalent says volumes about you- to put it politely.

The Gadsden flag is unambiguous in its message of unimpeded freedom, and cannot be manipulated like the stars and stripes. So instead it (and all who believe in its message) must be vilified by the statists.

Your opinion piece merely demonstrates your utter fealty to a stinking and plainly corrupt government.

Freedom - loving Americans have no need of boot-lickers like you."

I wonder how many people REALLY follow the statist thought-process. .? Are they really that stupid, or are they just pushing a message they don't really believe?