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Don't Tread On Me Flag....What does it mean to you?

44K views 63 replies 44 participants last post by  Lord Darwath 
#1 ·
I am thinking about putting a flag pole in my yard with the American Flag and maybe the Don't Tread on me flag (rattle snake).

But got to wondering what do you guys think the flag means?
Does it have special meaning to military soldiers?
Who should or shouldn't fly the flag?

What are your thoughts?
 
#6 ·
To me, it means what it says. don't tread on me. It speaks out against governments grown too big to be governed.

it has nothing to do with racism, nothing to do with ethnicity, or religion.

it totally represents a 'getting fed up with the feds' attitude.

in this country, an American is just that.
not African -American, Japanese American, not Native American.

the feds want you, me, all of us, to divide ourselves into those groups because they know a nation divided can not stand.

so don't fall for it.
 
#12 ·
From Wikipedia:
The Gadsden flag is a historical American flag with a yellow field depicting a rattlesnake coiled and ready to strike. Positioned below the snake is the legend "DONT TREAD ON ME." The flag was designed by and is named after American general and statesman Christopher Gadsden. It was also used by the Continental Marines as an early motto flag. It was the first flag ever carried into battle by the United States Marine Corps, during the American RevolutionIn fall 1775, the United States Navy was established to intercept incoming British ships carrying war supplies to the British troops in the colonies. To aid in this, the Second Continental Congress authorized the mustering of five companies of Marines to accompany the Navy on their first mission. The first Marines enlisted in the city of Philadelphia, and they carried drums painted yellow, depicting a coiled rattlesnake with thirteen rattles, and the motto "Don't Tread On Me." This is the first recorded mention of the future Gadsden flag's symbolism.

At the Congress, Continental Colonel Christopher Gadsden represented his home state of South Carolina. He was one of seven members of the Marine Committee who were outfitting the first naval mission.[4]

Before the departure of that first mission in December 1775, the newly appointed commander-in-chief of the Navy, Commodore Esek Hopkins, received the yellow rattlesnake flag from Gadsden to serve as the distinctive personal standard of his flagship. It was displayed at the mainmast.[4]

Gadsden also presented a copy of this flag to the Congress of South Carolina in Charleston, South Carolina in 1776. This was 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!"[5]

First battle flag of the US Marines, thats why I rock it.
 

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#13 ·
So, thats what Wiki says about it. What do YOU say about it besides it being the first flag of the Corps?

Akita did a pretty good job of putting my thoughts into words. Scary.

I will also add that it has been unofficially adopted by militia units all over the country so escapefromNY makes a pretty good point, you may get a some attention from both sides of the line. Some may want to run you out of the neighborhood, others may be willing to stand by your side to run the libs out of the neighborhood.

Personally I dont have one, yet. But then again I dont have a flag pole, yet.
If I ever do put up a pole you can bet I will have all 3 flying high.
 
#14 ·
To me it means the same as most of the above, a belief in what this country stood for at the time of it's founding.

But as a Navy Vet who served during 1976, It has an extra meaning to me. The straight snake version was flown as the Jack on all U.S. Navy ships to commemorate the Bi-Centennial.

The Jack is flown from a flag pole on the forecastle of the ship (pointy end), while a standard U.S. Flag is flown from the Fantail (square end).

Also I hear that the same jack is being flown from all Navy Ships until the end of the War on Terror.
 
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#15 ·
The flag of which you speak is a Naval Ensign used by the American Navy in the Early days of our nation and throughout the Revolution.

It is called the Gadsden Flag:

http://www.gadsden.info/Christopher.html

TEA Party Activists have adopted the flag because of the message "Don't Tread On ME".:

http://www.gadsden.info/Christopher.html

Personally being a Texan I am a big fan of the Gonzalez FLag:

http://www.galleryoftherepublic.com/txflags/gonzales.htm

The slogan on that flag is "Come and Take It" which has roots going as far back as the battle of Thermopylae in Greece in the first Century BC when the Persians told them to lay down surrender their arms and they would not be harmed and they replied "ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ" which translated into English is "Come and Take them"....This slogan was also repeated in English at Lexington and Concord when the British came to confiscate Colonial Arms.

I fly my Gonzales Flag on March 2 (Texas Independence Day) to honor the day.
 
#16 ·
Gadsden flag was the battle flag for the first US marines in the Revolutionary war. It is also the flag that people have linked with the Tea Party, as many members use it. It is a good "rally sign" if that is what you are looking for. People will flock to it, or you will be receiving many TP visits depending on your neighborhood.

While I love it, I would not personally fly it now. I would put it up if things went bad and people were looking for a "safe house" in a fight.
 
#19 ·
Thank you everyone. I am so glad to see I'm not the only one that thinks those two flags mean a lot.

I agree with you escapefromNY it might draw some unwanted attention if I fly it now. I will have to pray about it and make sure it is the right thing to do. I'm sure all of us know there are things you have to stand up for even if you know before hand you will be standing alone. I (like most of us here) think America is one of those things worth standing up for.
 
#20 ·
Please don't take this the wrong way, but your entire mindset is backward.

If you are going to adopt an emblem, you should know what it means to the people who designed it and use it. You are joining THEIR group, not the other way around. What it "means to me," is worthless.

I see people do this all the time with everything from corporate logos and national emblems to scripture. Moral equivalence and moral relativism are so pervasive that people refuse to understand that in joining a group or holding one position, they do so to the exclusion of other, incompatible ones. It is the ultimate immature Peter-Pan-ism.

The coiled snake on the Gadsden Flag is a warning to those who would seek to restrict our individual natural law rights that we will respond incongruently and violently. We, like the snake, are naturally equipped to do disproportionate and permanent damage to even a much larger oppressos. If that is not what the flag "means to you," then take it down and stop misrepresenting the rest of us.
 
#24 ·
I respectfully disagree. Just because a group has adopted a symbol does not mean you "join the group" because you also use the same symbol. For example, I don't think "rainbow food" or "rainbow sandals" necessarily support gay pride just because the use the rainbow.

The rattlesnake symbol was adopted by various groups during the revolutionary war when (what would become) the U.S. had no flag. Benjamin Franklin actually wanted the rattlesnake as the official symbol of the U.S.

Here is a good summary: http://www.greatseal.com/symbols/rattlesnake.html

As others have pointed out, the US Navy uses the rattlesnake on a striped background since the attacks on 9/11 and are slated to do so as long as the war on terror continues.

Given the multiple uses of the flag your singular representation of a symbol is not persuasive in my opinion.

To me the rattlesnake flag is a symbol of the spirit of America, from the revolutionary war to present. It is a reminder that a small handful of men and 13 colonies faced the greatest military power in the world. They faced them and won because of a belief the cause was just and their devotion to it was unwavering and absolute. It is a symbol that the smallest of men can overcome the greatest of odds whatever their cause may be. In a nutshell to me it is a symbol of strength, courage, dedication, and hope that America has had since it's birth.
 
#21 ·
Unfortunately, due to the cost of good poles and the trees in my yard, I'm unable to have the flag display that I'd like to have in my yard, but I have a five-pole flag setup mounted on the tongue of my Airstream travel trailer. The flags displayed are the stars and stripes in the middle, South Carolina state flag on the left center (My state of residence and my wife's home state), Alabama state flag on the right center (My home state), the Gadsden flag on the far left, and the U.S. Dept. of the Army flag on the far right. Each of these flags has special meaning to me.
The Gadsden flag is my way of telling the world that I hold my freedoms is sacred, and all those who may threaten those freedoms beware.
 
#22 ·
What does that flag mean to me?

Imagine about 90% of what the government does now and that explains what it means.

Seems to me that flag is nothing more than a lame bumper sticker. Why? Because if people truly believed in what it said, why do they tolerate what the government does?

In short - for most people it is now a joke and I am sure the gov't feels the same way.
 
#58 ·
Seems to me that flag is nothing more than a lame bumper sticker. Why? Because if people truly believed in what it said, why do they tolerate what the government does?

In short - for most people it is now a joke and I am sure the gov't feels the same way.
You mean like this?



Or, like this?



And, the worst of it is, I don't know what to do to change it!

BTW-I have a B-Ross flag, and I think that is what I shall fly since it is closest to the original meaning/purpose of what the American revolution was about.
 
#23 ·
But got to wondering what do you guys think the flag means?
Does it have special meaning to military soldiers?
It's the Gadsden Flag.

Original colors of the USMC. First flag displayed and carried into battle by the Marine Corps and also used on musician drums in battle. Like in this USMC commercial:



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

Very dear to me.

:thumb:
 
#27 ·
Not saying they do but I wouldn't put it past this presidency to have people on their payroll that drives around sees something they don't like in your yard, or have neighbors call there hot line and now you are on a "watch list." Not even going down that road of how they will track people just would rather have that low profile for as long as I can.
 
#32 ·
From the moment that that..."THING"...was "INSTALLED" in the WHITEHOUSE, I temporarily retired OLD GLORY, and hoisted the GADSDEN FLAG. As 2009 turned into 2010, along with that..."THING"...appointing RAHM to be in charge of the CENSUS, along with the crap/numerous NEW TAXES, that then-GOVERNOR CORZINE and his "PROGRESSIVES" rammed down our throats, I changed from the YELLOW to the BLACK GADSDEN...I really WANT TO BE on "THEIR LIST". IF that ..."THING...gets re-elected, I will change to a RED (NO QUARTER GIVEN) GADSDEN.

Now, before anyone throws a HISSY-FIT, in my neighborhood, the only "FLAGS" consistently flown are...FEETSBAWL TEAM FLAGS...along with the ubiquetous blow-up lawn-ornament TEAM PLAYER, which are on display 24/7/365. I am surrounded by idiots, intellectually and historical idiots...I've even had many ask me, "WHAT 'TEAM' IS THAT", regarding the GADSDEN FLAG:xeye: A HOUSEPLANT has a higher I.Q. than all of them collectively, their liberal brains are dead, and it is not up to me to re-educate them in U.S. HISTORY ( a futile attempt anyway)...NOT YET. These morons will defend their "TEAM" but not their COUNTRY. I shall not be the "GREY MAN" when it comes to this.
 
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