Before we get to the subject at hand, the second half of the headline says everything you need to know about the Democrat Party: manufactured controversy and tons of hypocrisy. Toss in Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and pretty much anything to do with the Sunshine State and we’re talking histrionic meltdown.
The “controversy” began on July 30 when DeSantis announced Florida’s new Gadsden flag license plate, which features the familiar “Don’t Tread on Me” declaration with a curled rattlesnake on a yellow background. According to the governor’s office, as reported by the NBC New affiliate in Tampa, proceeds from the optional plate will benefit Florida veterans in need.
The free state of Florida has a new license plate for pre-order that benefits the Florida Veterans Foundation and sends a clear message to out-of-state cars, “Don’t Tread on Me” or Florida.
Controversial?
The free state of Florida has a new license plate for pre-order that benefits the Florida Veterans Foundation and sends a clear message to out-of-state cars, “Don’t Tread on Me” or Florida.
Visit your local tax collector to purchase your presale voucher: https://t.co/Nr8S4kAoqk
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) July 30, 2022
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) July 30, 2022
First, the controversy.
In the early 2000s, the flag’s meaning became increasingly politicized after it was adopted by conservative and libertarian groups and their platforms for small government and lower taxes. Left-wingers being left-wingers, it didn’t take long until the Gadsden was declared a symbol of insurrection and hate — particularly during the Trump administration and in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election.
How far did the delusional left take it? This far:
They went as far as placing the Gadsden flag on the fbi [sic] domestic terrorist list along with the Colonial Flag, crazy 🥴 pic.twitter.com/yYC7VGr9uz
— Mike Smitty 🇺🇸 (@gettinolda) August 3, 2022
“Crazy” doesn’t even begin to describe it.
The truth about the Gadsden flag.
As noted by Patriot World, the true history of the Gadsen flag is far from controversial — unless you’re an America-loathing leftist hellbent on destroying this country as we know it, that is.
Christopher Gadsden was an American patriot. He led Sons of Liberty in South Carolina starting in 1765, and was later made a colonel in the Continental Army. In 1775, he was in Philadelphia representing his home state in the Continental Congress. He was also one of three members of the Marine Committee.
Gadsden, who was often called “the Sam Adams of the South,” was a delegate to the Stamp Act Congress, delegate to the First and Second Continental Congresses, and commander of the 1st South Carolina Regiment of the Continental Army. Both he and Franklin were staunch American patriots.
Gadsden presented a copy of his flag to his state legislature in Charleston. As recorded in the South Carolina congressional journals:
“Col. Gadsden presented to the Congress an elegant standard, such as is to be used by the commander in chief of the American navy; being a yellow field, with a lively representation of a rattle-snake in the middle, in the attitude of going to strike, and these words underneath, “Don’t Tread on Me!”
The Gadsden was designed to convey a patriotic message — not a racist one.
Gadsden presented one of his flags to friend and colleague, Benjamin Franklin, who then wrote about the flag’s symbolism, noting that the rattlesnake was “found in no other quarter of the world besides America,” the rattler “never begins an attack, nor when once engaged, ever surrenders.” Franklin also pointed to the snake’s rattle, which represented the number of colonies in America.
Nonetheless, the left-wing meltdown began, as tweeted by DeSantis spokesperson Christina Pushaw.
The latest fake news hysteria is about the new Gadsden Flag license plate @GovRonDeSantis announced to help Florida veterans in need. Media is smearing this as a “racist”/”domestic terrorist” symbol, which is absurd!
The “smearing,” of course, whipped up by left-wing media sock puppets.
The latest fake news hysteria is about the new Gadsden Flag license plate @GovRonDeSantis announced to help Florida veterans in need. Media is smearing this as a “racist”/”domestic terrorist” symbol, which is absurd!
See details & order online here: https://t.co/y819qcDllj pic.twitter.com/kQoSrBZo4Z
— Christina Pushaw 🐊 🇺🇸 (@ChristinaPushaw) August 3, 2022
One of the best ridiculous responses shockingly came from a Florida teacher.
Stop calling us the free state of Florida, if that were true I’d be able to do my job as a teacher and create a safe space for all kids.
Really? Nothing quite says “safe space” like the insidiousness of left-wing indoctrination that continues to metastasize in America’s public schools, beginning with kindergartners in many cases.
Stop calling us the free state of Florida, if that were true I’d be able to do my job as a teacher and create a safe space for all kids
— Chris Bowers (@chrisgbowers) July 30, 2022
And what, exactly, is your “job as a teacher,” Chris? To “teach” (indoctrinate) children about their “inherent racism,” “systemic racism,” and “white supremacy”? Marxist-derived critical race theory”? To “teach” little boys that they “can be girls, too”? Gender fluidity? Gender self-identification? Please.
Hypocrisy reigns supreme on the left.
Florida is hardly the first state in the Union to roll out a Gadsden flag license plate, including Virginia, whose two prior governors (Ralph Northam and Terry McAuliffe) were Democrats. And from the left? Crickets.
Uh oh. Wait until hear about the plates we’ve had in Virginia for about a decade now. pic.twitter.com/Hsj1mrtvPN
— Garren Shipley (@GarrenShipley) August 3, 2022
Other states where the Gadsden flag license plates are available include Alabama, Arizona, Kansas, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas.
Huh. You don’t suppose the fact that Florida just happens to be run by Ron DeSantis has anything to do with the manufactured controversy and blatant hypocrisy, do you?
Related on RedState:
‘Don’t Tread On Me’ Has Become the Gun-Toting Black Woman’s Credo
BREAKING: DeSantis Suspends State Attorney Who Refused to Uphold Law Forbidding Child Sex Surgeries
Biden Shows How DeSantis and the GOP Are Living ‘Rent Free’ in His Head
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