(comments below)
Too bad such a brilliant symbol of America has to be misused in this way.
Peter Galuszka
That's the same flag the air traffic controllers used before they got fired.
Gee, maybe some liberal group can get/make a 'I wanna be like Cuba' license plate. Just thinking …
We are with Mr. Gooze here.
Some time ago we asked Professor Risse about his take on these flags.
His response was simple: “Wrong pronoun.”
Back in 1775 ‘me’ meant ‘us’; the colony, the colonies, the community (small ‘c’) that sought recognition, fair governance and limits on exploitation by the Crown:
“No taxation without representation.” “Hang together or we shall surely all hang separately.”
Now ‘me’ means ‘just me.’ Me, even if I am angry because of ignorance. Me, even if it causes others to suffer, ME, ME, ME.
A flag with “Don’t Tread on us” would be fine if:
‘us’ = citizen, Household, Dooryard, Cluster, Neighborhood, Village and Community AND
the addressee (who will be bitten if ‘us’ is tread upon) = partisan politics, big Agencies, big Enterprises and unaccountable Institutions. They are the ones that are thwarting fair governance and using economic leverage to exploit ‘us.’
(OOPS, double counting because unaccountable Institutions includes the two major political clans.)
You get the idea…
Observer
"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 stepping on her.—Was I wrong, Sir, in thinking this a strong picture of the temper and conduct of America?"
Benjamin Franklin, regarding rattlesnakes.
Ben could have also pointed out that:
If a rattlesnake’s venom fangs are ripped out in one kill, there is another set ready to grow in, and
Rattlers poison their meals as well as their enemies, and
They do NOT always rattle first.
In the animal world there are few good role models for humans, at least not the way humans, especially some Christians, would like to think of themselves.
AZA
Tea party logic?
They want governmental statute, to impose a tax, to give them permission, to display an attestation, to unalienable rights, to be free.
Buy a bumper sticker!
AZA is right about anthropomorphism and the use of animal characteristics to justify human activities.
Ben F also thought the turkey was a better symbol for the US than the Bald Eagle.
Not many hyper patriots like to admit that the Bald Eagle feeds on carrion and bullies smaller birds and animals off their own kills.
MGM
I like the sea anemone.
He only eats what incurses on his territory.
"I want to ask the Republicans what we can work on together."
Barack Obama.
—————
The only thing Republicans want to work on is firing Barack Obama.
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