I saw a car with a Gadsen flag bumper sticker today.

[ShazzieB]

You know, one of these things:

.

It caught my attention partly because it's very unusual to see any kind of bumper stickers on cars around here. I don't think I saw a single one during the entire 2024 election cycle, for any candidate. As a result, this one really jumped out at me.

I've been trying to figure out exactly what message this thing is intended to convey. I seem to recall seeing at least one of these flags on January 6.

Is this sticker a way of saying the car's owner is a Trumper without actually using the Orange One's name? If so, fuck that guy.

[SheltieLover]

1. Yes, it is a magat thing

hillbillies in TN are all too proud of their license plates of that image. I mean state license plates.

[proud patriot]

5. I beg to differ

before the tea party used it , I was flying one under the bush jr presidency .

I felt threatened by john ashcroft and Opposed the patriot act .

I also flew the culpepper minuteman flag

seems like I should break them out again considering ....

[SheltieLover]

6. Perhaps it depends upon one's geographic location

Unfortunately for me, I currently reside in the not so great state of shithole TN.

Where are you geographically?

[proud patriot]

9. back then

I was is the SF bay area , I currently reside in Hawaii ..

I aknowledge that magats use it and hyjacked it . but they don't own it IMO

It should fly next to a rainbow flag

it's meaning under king Trump can be adopted by anyone who
is anti trump's fascist regime .

[SheltieLover]

10. I LOVE your idea

to fly it next to a Rainbow flag!!!

[proud patriot]

15. talk about getting people's attention right?

[SheltieLover]

19. Absofuckingloutely!

[Ontheboundry]

26. Why not leave?

If Tennessee is so bad ?

I'm from here, and my family is nearly all here so I'm here, but I just keep to myself

[LeftInTX]

21. I had a Gasden Flag patch during the Vietnam War

I bought it at Army Surplus store.

[DeepWinter]

30. Yep

I still have a Gadsen flag bumper sticker on my beater redneck truck. I don't necessarily equate it to a political party, seeing why you would sport it changes from decade to decade.

[Klarkashton]

2. I don't think that maga realize yet how trumps

Government is going to tread on their lives.

[magicarpet]

4. Dude could be,...

Hyper conservative,

Libertarian,

Fascist Bro or trDUMPee Bro like you mentioned.

DON'T TREAD ON ME - is his message,.. whatever that means to him.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

8. Yes indeed. Could also be a fundamentally angry guy with anger management deficits. . . . . . nt

[magicarpet]

12. Yes, potential anger management deficit issues

.... not a good one to be flipping the bird at.

[Amishman]

27. Libertarian type is a definite possibility

It's long been popular with that crowd.

Trumper is still most likely, but not a 100% certainty

[beaglelover]

7. I thought that was the sign of the Teabaggers.

[ShazzieB]

18. It was, back when the Tea Party was a thing.

It has historically meant a lot of different things to different people. Here's an example of the kind of thing I found when I tried to research it:

What does the Gadsden flag mean? How has its meaning evolved?

In recent years, the words “Don’t tread on me” have come to represent a more general opposition to government overreach in the US.

The flag itself began to gain popularity in Libertarian circles as a symbol boosting minimal government beginning in the 1970s.

Its popularity then surged — on everything from T-shirts to bumper stickers— after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, according to the New Yorker.

The flag soon became a favorite of Tea Party enthusiasts and die-hard Second Amendment supporters — along with an all-purpose emblem of independence, liberty and defiance.

As the US became more politically polarized, some extremist groups adopted it. In 2020, members of the Proud Boys were photographed waving the flag at a heated rally in Portland, Ore.

https://nypost.com/2023/08/30/the-meaning-of-the-gadsden-flag-symbol-that-got-colorado-boy-booted-from-school/

And of course, this flag made an appearance on January 6:


Source: https://abcnews.go.com/US/symbols-hate-extremism-display-pro-trump-capitol-siege/story?id=75177671

So I guess there's no way to be absolutely sure what someone means by it, but it will ALWAYS be associated with the Capitol insurrection, at least in my mind.

[Theproletariat]

11. Gadsden flag

The snake resembles the unity of the 13 colonies during the Revolutionary War. The flag was adopted in 1775.

[Gore1FL]

13. It was co-opted by the right wing. It now has a new implied meaning.

It's gonna take a while for that to wash out.

[Glen Livid]

14. Implied meaning?

What's the implied meaning?

[Gore1FL]

16. Currently, the interpretation is "I'm MAGA."

That may not be the meaning the person has when they placed it on their bumper, flagpole, or whatever. That is how it will largely be interpreted, though.

Only time will get the stain out.

[blm]

17. Gadsden is Anti-imperialism, yet, Trump cult WANTS an imperial presidency.

MAGA blasphemes the Gadsden flag when they use it.
Both Ben Franklin and Christopher Gadsden were progressives.

[k55f5r]

20. My fb avatar

https://images.app.goo.gl/gSxHWH3zxwPgDZvR8]

[ShazzieB]

23. Good one!

[UpInArms]

22. My kid has that on her car

Except it says

No tread on snake

[ShazzieB]

24. I like this one. 😁

[Amishman]

28. Careful with that one, alt right / boogaloo types like that version

One in my wife's RW cousins has that as a patch on his motorcycle jacket.

[UpInArms]

29. That's the one!

👍🏻

[Shrek]

25. In Kansas you can get it on your license plate

Part of the license fee goes to the Kansas State Rifle Association.

Make of that what you will.

[Wuddles440]

31. In OH and PA...

many fly the Gadsen flag along with the Trump flag and sometimes the Besty Ross and Confederate battle flag.