Gadsden Goes Safe Space: Twitter Offers Kinder, Gentler Versions of Iconic Flag
These Gadsden flag alternatives offer cuddlier featured creatures and more polite requests to be left alone.
The snake-bearing yellow banner declaring "Don't Tread on Me" was first used during the Revolutionary War. Designed by Continental Colonel Christopher Gadsden, the flag drew on imagery popularized by Benjamin Franklin in a 1754 editorial cartoon of the American colonies as a rattlesnake. In the intermin centuries, the "Gadsden flag," as it's become known, has endured as a symbol of U.S. patriotism and struggle against government tyranny.
But because the flag was adopted this century by right-leaning political movements such as the Tea Party, liberals and government officials have grown suspicious of its symbolism, suggesting the Gadsden flag may indicate "terrorist or criminal operations" or connote white hostility toward blacks. Last week, legal scholar Eugene Volokh flagged a complaint currently under consideration by the federal Equal Opportunity Employment Commission (EEOC) over whether displaying Gadsden flag imagery in the workplace constitutes race-based harassment.
In response, some liberty-loving and meme-minded folks on Twitter began sharing Gadsden-flag alternatives culled from around the Internet with cuddlier featured creatures and more polite requests to be left alone—Gadsden flags for the safe space generation, if you will. I've rounded up some of the best of them below.
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The second one looks like a proto-Trogdor. Anyone else remember Trogdor???
No, no that drawing lacks majesty. You wouldn’t even know what majesty looks like if it came up and bit you in the face!
I said consummate V’s, CONSUMMATE!
I’m making $96 an hour working from home. I was shocked when my neighbour told me she was averaging $120 but I see how it works now. I feel so much freedom now that I’m my own boss.
Just working on the internet for a few hours.
This is what I do.——————- http://bit.do/GvGO0
Thatched-roofed cottages!
The Burninator!
Needs more beefy arm.
The Burninator? I remember Trogdor, but not its origin.
“Leave” is my favorite one
I enjoyed it.
+1 poetic license
But because the flag was adopted this century by right-leaning political movements such as the Tea Party, liberals and government officials have grown suspicious of its symbolism, suggesting the Gadsden flag may indicate “terrorist or criminal operations” or connote white hostility toward blacks.
Evidence of Tea Party racism, terrorism, and criminality, please.
Is there an historical precedent for blacks being oppressed by govt?
Yes – in the US it was normally done by the Democrat party
It’s been established by scientific consensus.
Muh Feelz
QED.
I’ve grown suspicious by the government’s suspicion at a symbol of liberty popularized by a founding father.
Yes, it’s almost like they’re trying to tell us something.
Hey look, it’s the cunt who cried because I made fun of sarcasmic’s pending divorce for being a drunk.
HI cunt!
Uh…what?
?
Classy.
We get the classiest trolls.
Mary Stack/Kizone Kaprow?
Likely someone else. No matter. Hamster, sic balls!
It’s sort of that style. But could be a new abuse troll with bizarre obsessions with specific commenters.
I like abuse: can someone please treat me bad?
Imma fuk yo ass bitch.
You say “government’s suspicion” like it’s a thinking introspective entity. Just like with buffalo and rattlesnakes, they don’t care about the motivations of the snake and are only dimly aware of it’s cognizance. They’re just confused on how best to tread effectively.
TEA parties oppose unchecked government spending. Some government spending goes to minorities. Therefore, TEA parties oppose minorities. Ergo, TEA parties = racist.
Solution of the terrorism and criminality equations is left as an exercise for the reader but proceeds along similar lines.
/progderp
I warned you, Bucko
Well, it goes like so: the government is the bee’s knees, and anyone who doesn’t agree is anti-government, and therefore a dangerous racist terrorist. You’re racist because some racists don’t like the government, which means that all racists are anti-government, and if you take issue with the government in any way you’re anti-government, and thus a racist.
The government doesn’t need *evidence* for such things. Their word is enough to courts.
Tea Party. What more evidence do you need?
/prog
They voted for Trump?
Well not to be a jerk but the proof on the first point is there if you look, but the second two are more like ‘what if’s’ that the government want’s to treat as a definite. I’m not saying any of the points hold water, but it’s not that hard to find someone that associates with the Tea Party that is also racist.
Does that make the Tea Party racist? I couldn’t say, but I do know for a fact that Socialism strongly correlates to widespread death within the nation that adopts it and that a self-avowed Socialist was the runner up in the Democrat platform.
Usually, when that’s pointed out, Democrats are suddenly less willing to assign widespread belief to a particular party. Unless, obviously, they were a Bernie supporter in which case there is no reasoning with them.
Just because you claim that some who “associates with” a group is racist, it does not make the group racist. Jesus, this is just simple logic.
I would adore it if these started showing up in real life. It’d make a mockery of those who claim to be fearful of it and legitimize the original at the same time.
I’ll make a few into stickers for people interested
I would be — the ‘no step on snek’ and ‘pls no tread’ ones had me actually loling, a rare feat. Do let me know if you make some!
“I’ll take it, but I’m not PAYING for it”
CHEAH!
That’s fucking HILARIOUS!!11!!!!
I CELEBRATE YOUR ENTHUSIASM
was she trying to say “cheater” while having a stroke? I didn’t get it, or any of them really
Don’t Manspread On Me
Freedom is so white-privileged I just can’t even.
It’s a white construct for white supremacy, like rationality and logical arguments.
Check your white cis-hetero shitlord privilege!
This is literally what some progressives believe.
Down with your white linear ‘logic’!
That’s what white liberals want blacks to believe
White liberals don’t give a shit what blacks believe, so long as they keep voting Democrat.
I stopped flying the Gadsden because I didn’t want to deal with teh assholes.
I use the “Come and Take It” now.
Did you keep the snake?
http://unisci24.com/289402.html
This literally started in my hometown in Texas (Gonzales), but I wouldn’t suggest ever visiting there. Although, if you happen to be nearby in October the celebration is a decent enough excuse to get drunk in a tent.
Historically speaking, the events surrounding ‘Come and Take It’ read more like a script to a black comedy than an event of historical significance.
I ordered a Gadsden flag a year or so ago and put it in a drawer. When this crap hit the news, I put it on a spare flagpole and stuck it in the bracket where the Stars and Stripes usually goes.
I might just leave it up from now through the Nov elections. Or forever.
As soon as I read about this, I ordered a Gadsden flag magnet for the vehicle.
Yeah, I need a new T-Shirt. Maybe walk the local campus with it on.
If you are in an area with a lot of proggies, that’s just asking for your car to be vandalized when you’re not around.
*keys R.C. Dean’s rich, white man vehicle*
*posts video of act on youtube*
*receives hundreds of likes*
Leave RC alone…he drives a Kia.
Nah. I rarely venture into the campus area.
‘Don’t tread on me, whitey!’
“I warned you, Bucko”.
Who could ask for anything more?
That one is good.
I don’t get it; if we’re leaving snakes altogether, shouldn’t there be at least one with a black guy saying not to be stepped on? Like a shot of Michael Jai White or Mike Tyson looking at you hard, warning you?
Mr T saying “STEP, FOOL.”
I would so buy that.
Feet up, don’t shoot!
First one is pretty funny
Yeah my favorite
I thought the first one was by far the best.
Seems like they could make the same arguments about the Constitution and Bill of Rights. Why didn’t you read the defendent his rights officer? Because that would be racist.
And while you’d think the word “racist” would by now be stripped of all meaning, apparently using the term as a synonym for “something I don’t like or don’t understand” is still highly effective.
That’s really all they have. Such is the state of liberal debate. They can’t win on logic so they just fling poo.
In Orwell’s day, the term “fascist” acquired the same meaning.
I’ve had the same thought. It’s a bit like the f-word, tossed about so often, so casually, and so randomly that it has no impact.
‘Racist’ does have meaning. It means they have run out of arguments.
This is obviously the winner. Now to figure out how to put a gif in flag form.
Coincidentally, I found out last Friday that University Customs makes custom flags out of images.
Don’t tread on me*
*Supermodels wearing spiked heels exempt.
Do you also like to stampede cattle through the Vatican ?
I thought I was going to pull something when I saw “I do say, mind where you walk, old chap!”
The Founders were British citizens at the time, after all…
Modest reforms?!
*TRIGGERED*
I’m pretty sure I’ve seen the stars and stripes used by actual racist organizations a lot more than I have the Gadsden flag. Though I guess you also sometimes see people complaining that it is racist and offensive too.
Your choice not to include this flag is disgusting
http://i3.kym-cdn.com/photos/i…..01/579.png
What is the point of the gorilla one? Don’t rustle me? I don’t get that. And aren’t all images using a gorilla ‘THE RACIST’ now?
EVERYTHING is racist…
It’s the “rustled my jimmies” meme.
I assume it’s a Harambe joke. That’s still a big thing in the memeverse, two months later.
It is a riff on this, if you were really interested.
Thanks. And even for a meme, that one is really lame.
I always abhorred that meme.
It stems from this old meme: http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/…..my-jimmies
Thank you.
Heads would explode:
But what about his one???
No blacks in Brown Town
The second one is pretty good. Nobody would get the first one.
I worry about people who see the real Gadsden flag and in there minds see the first.
I have to take people at there word that they truly believe what they say to process as such seems twisted.
*their*
I worry about people who see the real Gadsden flag and in there minds see the first.
Yeah because Presidents emulating Lincoln is, invariably, A Good Thing?.
I’m haivng trouble deciding between ‘No step on snek’ and ‘leave’
And here I thought “Don’t Tread on Me” was the motto of safe spaces.
Would that not be “Don’t Tread Into Me”?
All of which miss the entire point of the rattlesnake: it WANTS to be left alone and goes to great length to be left alone, striking only when provoked and giving clear warning first that it is pissed off (or so it was said – I’ve never met any, living way east of the Connecticut river most of my life).
I think the “I warned you Bucko” says exactly that.
Missed that one somehow.
All good, I think the rattlesnake and porcupine illustrate the idea well.
More or less, GT. I have run across a few aggressive rattlesnakes (including a massive 7 footer), but they are typically pretty passive, really.
First they came for the Stars and Bars, and I said nothing because I don’t fly the Stars and Bars.
Then they came for the Gadsden flag, and I said nothing because I don’t fly the Gadsden flag.
Next week they will go full Soviet Union and declare that no one can fly the Stars and Stripes who is not a governmental functionary, and there will be no one left to help me defend my Stars and Stripes.
+1 unhinged rant about gold fringed flags.
You can still fly the Mexican flag, though, so it’s not a total loss.
Didn’t see this one.
There’s nothing more racist than the old, rugged cross. Particularly one in flames.
I Loled.
Signed, a Fundamentalist Christian
P.S. It’s probably my ex-Marine self who laughed at that one, actually.
my best friend’s mom makes $74 an hour on the computer . She has been without work for five months but last month her payment was $19746 just working on the computer for a few hours. find more information …
?????????? http://www.factoryofincome.com
How about instead of accommodating the crybullies, we start a contest for the flag that will piss them off the most!
Whatever it is “Black Lives Matter” or “Peace sign” – it needs to be in flames.
A penis in a burqa.
Best euphemism yet!
“Join or Die” is a hell of a lot more triggering than “Don’t Tread of Me”.
What say you, EEOC?
“Join or Die” is a hell of a lot more triggering than “Don’t Tread of Me”.
What say you, EEOC?
The problem with most of these re-framing the “leave me alone” message is that being left alone is Not Okay. Racism (and sexism and homophobia and ableism and all the other thousand “isms”) is pervasive and endemic and systemic – if you’re doing nothing to change the system, why, you’re actively working to perpetuate it. Not giving is taking and all that. Government isn’t the things we choose to do together, government is the things we choose to force everybody at gunpoint to do together. Being left alone is not an option, you must get involved. That’s how the “leave me alone” message is perceived – you want to be left alone because you’re fine with all this oppression we’ve got, you miserable, evil, slimy bastard. Well, we’re not going to leave you alone, for your own good and for the common good you can’t be allowed to just sit there and do nothing.
One can’t be left alone. After all we belong to the state. The left loves slavery. Liberty-minded people don’t really give a hoot if some idiots want to live on a kibbutz, but if anyone just wants to be left alone, this is a direct assault on their claims. They claim you and the fruits of your labor.
That flag with the giant foot stomping on the snake…are they going for a Monty Python vibe? If not, a backboot would be better than a bare foot.
My favorite
Hudson . although Henry `s article is flabbergasting, last thursday I bought a brand new Buick after having earned $7028 recently an would you believe ten-grand this past-munth . it’s actualy the most-comfortable job I have ever had . I began this 4 months ago and practically straight away started making a nice at least $83.
+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+ http://www.factoryofincome.com
I do know for a fact that Socialism strongly correlates to widespread death within the nation that adopts it and that a self-avowed Socialist was the runner up!!!
I reposted Sugarfretes’ Yeats re-write on my facebook, along with the “I specifically requested the opposite of this” image, and some offhand commentary about how ridiculous I found even the question of Gadsden = racist. So of course, a former classmate who went to law school came in and tut-tutted me about “don’t you know Tea Partiers use that symbol and are a bunch of racists?”
I give up. No more politics on derpbook for me.
Legal experts have suggested that if Congress has the power to require individuals to buy health care insurance, it may also mandate that Americans buy broccoli. Legal experts have suggested that if Congress has the power to require individuals to buy health care insurance, it may also mandate that Americans buy broccoli. Legal experts have suggested that if Congress has the power to require individuals to buy health care insurance, it may also mandate that Americans buy broccoli. – – – – ????? 2017– ????? 2017