The Tea Party Wants to Take Our Country Back to the 18th Century

The Tea Party claims to be more patriotic than other Americans. One of their rallying cries, pre-midterm elections was, “We want to take our country back.” They never really defined who took the country and when. Nor did they say how far they wanted to take it back. I believe whenever a republican gets elected president again we won’t hear too much about the Tea Party.

The flag they have chosen to fly as their symbol is the the 18th Century Gadsden flag. The flag was named after, Christopher Gadsden, a southern general from South Carolina during the 1700’s. Why do they not fly the United States of America flag? Especially since they claim to be so patriotic and many of their current members were the same people that criticized then Senator Obama for not wearing an American flag lapel pin. I’m sure some would argue they chose this flag because it was the flag flown against the British.

Actually, the first use of a snake as a symbol of the American colonies can be traced back to the publications of Benjamin Franklin. In 1751, he made the first reference to the rattlesnake in a satirical commentary published in his Pennsylvania Gazette. It had been the policy of Britain to send convicted criminals to America, so Franklin suggested that they thank the British by sending rattlesnakes to England.

In the fall of 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 that enlisted were from 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.

We have come a long way since 1775 and the British invading the colonies. Is the Tea Party implying they want to break up the United States and go back to the time of colonies and no central government, since they seem so anti-government?

Do they really want to take this country, the United States of America, back to the time when Blacks were slaves, women were treated as property and only White male landowners had rights? Let’s see what they do in 2011!