Remember Your Freedom! Part 1 - Don't Tread on Me!

This is the first in a series of posts about US History and Patriotism. It is nothing short of a coincidence that now, the week leading up to my nations birth, that I have rediscovered my love for all things America. Its great timing. The series of posts is focused on simply reminding people of the history of their nation and trying to give a sense of modern-day relevance to it.

The Gardsden Flag bears the famous and timeless motto of "Don't Tread On Me", a Diamond-back Rattlesnake coiled and ready to strike at all those who would dare to mess with it!

To me, this was the first, and best, symbol of the American ideal best put forth by, of all things, Rage Against the Machine: "F*#K YOU, I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME!"

The flag and imagery was inspired by a political cartoon that appeared in a 1751 copy of the Pennsylvania Gazette drawn by Benjamin Franklin called "Join Or Die", a stark message to all 13 Colonies that in order to defeat the British, petty differences had to be set aside and united these Colonies could win. It was designed by Christopher Gadsden, the flags namesake, in 1775, and was even one of the official flags of America at he country's birth.

In a more modern context, it could be seen as a way to support those around the world today.

I was at a protest against the actions of the Iranian government towards their people not too long ago and, to me, its easy on some levels to see a lot of similarities to their struggle for freedom against a tyrannical "democracy" and how they are suppressed to those of our ancestors, who fought and died in order to achieve their ideals. I decided there was no better way to show support than to fly this flag.

The coiled snake, ready to strike... to me, it was a perfect symbol of the people in Iran, ready to strike back and fight back against a corrupt election and leader.

To me, its a little disheartening to see my fellow American's seem to take their freedom for granted when you have people halfway across the world simply struggling, even dying, for the same type of freedom and liberty we have. Its even more disheartening to see people OK their government taking them away... but that's another day, and another post.