Connecticut State Capitol To Fly Flag Adopted By Tea Party

[Lochloosa]

Emblem of a divisive and controversial political movement or historic symbol of American defiance?

Those are two views of the Gadsden Flag, the bright yellow banner adorned with the image of a coiled rattlesnake and the words "Don't Tread on Me."

The flag has been adopted by tea party activists, who have unfurled it at rallies across the nation, and some Republican members of Congress, who hung it from a balcony at the U.S. Capitol before a vote on the health care overhaul.

On Friday, the flag will fly over the state Capitol — and that doesn't sit well with one veteran lawmaker.


http://www.courant.com/news/politics/hc-tea-party-flag-0408.artapr08,0,1076361.story

[Arkana]

1. It is in fact NOT the Tea Party's flag.

That flag has great historical significance and just because those Tea Party whackjobs insist on peeing on it to try and mark it as theirs doesn't make it so.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

11. I feel bad for my father-in-law.

He got the Gadsden tattooed in a mid-life crisis sort of thing a few years ago. He's a liberal Democrat. Now people will think he's a nutjob teabagger.

[Dappleganger]

18. He can just inform them that they don't own that flag, nor that piece of history.

It's time to stop the teabaggers from hijacking whatever the hell they want from history.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

23. What's he supposed to do - wear a sign at the beach?

Like it or not, most people don't bother asking, not giving you any opportunity to "educate".

[vaberella]

21. ROFL. Like being stuck with the tattoo of an old girlfriend who really screwed you over on your arm.

n/t

[NoPasaran]

2. If the Nutmeg Teahadists really had guts, they'd adopt the Confederate Battle Flag

That might clear a few things up.

[onehandle]

3. Oh, its there. The Gadsden Flag is just a placeholder.

[Chulanowa]

4. The stupid in that picture makes me wince

"Bring back we the people (except for blacks and indians and women and the poor!)"

[Jennicut]

6. Nutmeg Teahadists! I will have to use that if I ever come across any of them here

in CT.

[Jennicut]

5. I live in CT. Permission was granted to allow the flag to fly until April 15th because

it has been associated with the U.S. Marine Corps. Also, the rainbow flag for gay rights was once given permission to fly.
Honestly, in a blue state like this, teabaggers are few and far between and the majority of the public here just laughs at them.
They may have co-opted the Don't Tread on Me Flag but it really is not their flag to begin with.

[FSogol]

7. Too bad they couldn't slip the "Don't Tase me Bro" flag in instead

:shrug:

[blm]

8. Gadsden flag means: US a nation that WON'T strike FIRST, but, will strike BACK - a LIBERAL concept

that the teabaggers don't just have the brainpower to understand. Many of us liberals flew the Gadsden as we protested Bush attacking a nation that didn't attack us, and continually usurped our freedoms and rights to open and accountable government.

[Jennicut]

9. Yup. It doesn't bother me that it will be flown in Hartford. I know what it means

and teabaggers are idiots.


Per Ben Franklin himself:

I recollected that her eye excelled in brightness, that of any other animal, and that she has no eye-lids—She may therefore be esteemed an emblem of vigilance.—She never begins an attack, nor, when once engaged, ever surrenders: She is therefore an emblem of magnanimity and true courage.—As if anxious to prevent all pretensions of quarreling with her, the weapons with which nature has furnished her, she conceals in the roof of her mouth, so that, to those who are unacquainted with her, she appears to be a most defenseless animal; and even when those weapons are shewn and extended for her defense, they appear weak and contemptible; but their wounds however small, are decisive and fatal:—Conscious of this, she never wounds till she has generously given notice, even to her enemy, and cautioned him against the danger of treading on her.—Was I wrong, Sir, in thinking this a strong picture of the temper and conduct of America?http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gadsden_flag

[blm]

10. This should STILL be our flag, but royalists wanting to maintain their 'colours' won that decision

as the American victors were feeling magnanimous, I suppose.

[Dappleganger]

19. Exactly!

[Ikonoklast]

12. Fucking Teabagger idjits.

Pisses me off no end that they co-opted a great symbol for their incessantly stupid foolishness.


They have no clue as to the history of the Gadsden Flag.



Asshats.

[political_Dem]

13. Everytime I hear of folks subscribing to these Teabaggers, I've got to shake my head.

I just have to ask this question with each story I hear about this group: what makes the Teabaggers more important than any other movement in America?

Why is their "fake oppression" more relevant in this country? Why won't people see their vulgar, violent nature in each act they've done? Aren't people offended that some members amongst the ranks of the Teabaggers had willfully insulted, threatened and assaulted sitting members of Congress?

Just like the "adoption" of a romantic notion of the Confederacy, why is a portion of our country accepting these seditionists instead of being offended by their lack of patriotism?

[blm]

24. and why didn't they NOTICE when the left protested using the Gadsden symbol CORRECTLY?

Corporate media doesn't WANT the American people to know the truth.

[HughMoran]

14. Bah, lots of DUers have that flag as an avatar

It has nothing to do with the Teabaggers, they're just using it.

[blm]

22. And they're using it IGNORANTLY....they don't know what the fock it even means.

If they did they would have been out there protesting Bush's invasion of Iraq, especially after weapon inspections were proving force was not needed.

[Kltpzyxm]

15. Disgusting

Might as well just put up a noose and spare us the BS

[RagAss]

16. The Home of Joe Lieberman...need to say anything more ?

[Jennicut]

25. CT is not radical in any way. In fact, it is a very blue state right now.

Lieberman's polling right now is in the 30% range for approval. Many independents and Dems were loyal to him after he helped save the Groton sub bases and for other reasons. Now they have turned against him. And Repubs don't fully trust him.

CT is a moderate to liberal state. In fact, we have all Dem reps, have a good shot at getting a Dem Governor in (after years of a very moderate Repub controlling it), and will probably send our Dem Attorney General, Blumental, to the Senate.

[RamboLiberal]

17. Gadsden Flag Will Not Be Flown Over State Capitol

Tea Party activists won't be permitted to fly the Gadsden Flag over the state Capitol after all.

State Capitol police today reversed an earlier decision to allow the bright yellow "Don't Tread On Me" banner to flutter from the highly visible flagpole after learning that activists had planned a political rally following the flag-raising ceremony.

But Tea Party activists said today they plan to go ahead with the flag-raising – they plan to bring their own flagpole.

"It went from being a flag-raising ceremony to a political event,'' Acting Capitol police Chief Walter Lee said. "They are using it as a launching pad for public office."

Tea Party activists view the flag as a historic symbol of American defiance, but critics say the familiar flag with the image of a coiled rattlesnake is now associated with the controversial political movement.

http://www.courant.com/news/politics/hc-no-tea-party-flag-0408,0,7026357.story

[joe black]

26. Bringing their own flagpole.

WTF

[elleng]

20. NOT

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x263701