April 2009
A few weeks ago a report from Missouri came out. The State government there did a report on domestic terrorists groups and in the report it said those who are for small government, limited government, state sovereignty, lower taxes, third party voting habits and proponent of personal Liberty might be domestic terrorists, or involved in terrorists groups or plots. It also gave a few red flags that a Missouri Highway Patrolman would be able to identify a domestic terrorist by on the road. Of these Ron Paul bumper stickers, Gadsden flags or stickers, Confederate flags, United States flags flown upside down, or American Sovereign flags among other signs, flags, and bumper stickers.
Of course this is an affront to free speech, every bit as bad as being profiled based on age, race, or gender. I was livid. It’s an outrage to be treated differently based on one’s ideas by the government, especially when it is the size, scoop, and nature of government that your ideas are against in the first place. And so I, along with thousands of others put up a picture of the gadsden flag for our profile picture on www.facebook.com. But for me that wasn’t enough, I wanted to take it to the real world. And so I bought a 3x5 Gadsden flag, and began flying it at my house.
I had already been a victim of a hate crime several weeks earlier when my American Sovereign flag was cut down from my flag pole and stolen. It wasn’t taken down, but cut. The rope on my flag pole was cut. And so this Gadsden flag I bought I had to hang from my porch since I haven’t yet had time to fix my flag pole. I also decided to buy a Gadsden flag for my car, that is the yellow flag on the right side of my car. It is the Yellow one with the snake that reads “Don’t Tread On Me” and it is the flag flown by patriots before the declaration of independence was made. While I was making my purchase I thought I would get another flag, but was unable to find a Sovereign flag, a Bonnie Blue, the Star Spangled Banner, or any other flag associated with the Missouri Intelligence report. Except the confederate flag. And so I decided to go ahead and buy that flag as well.
I’ve already given the general idea and purpose for flying the Confederate flag, and the Gadsden, because according to the Missouri Intelligence report, I show all the signs and persuasions of being a domestic terrorist. But I am not, on the contrary I believe all people should be at peace with their neighbors. That to use violence or the threat of violence to gain control of other people or their property is wrong and inexcusable. This is not limited to burglary, larceny, kidnapping, and murder, but also taxation, regulation, prohibition, and inscription. As I mentioned before, I hold everyone to the same standard, whether its a thug on the street or a senator in a suit.
Onto the reaction. I have mixed feelings about the reaction I’ve gotten. Initially I felt pretty bad about it. I don’t like the fact that people would think I am a racist. I have never associated the confederate flag with racism, the states that remained part of the Union in 1861 still had slaves after the South had been conquered, the South only fought for its own independence and for lower taxes, just like the Colonists did. England had outlawed slavery by the time the Colonists rebelled. And I’ve seen on t.v. that the KKK flies the Southern flag, but they also fly the United States flag with all 50 stars. And of course I am also against the Confederate government almost as much as I am against the United States government because even the Confederacy had problems, like the United States, they also legally condoned slavery, and both governments inscripted men into their armies, and both countries defrauded people’s money, and had income taxes.
On the other hand, I am encouraged, because It has opened some dialogue on the idea of secession and the expansion of Personal Liberty and lower taxes, and of course I wouldn’t be writing this if I hadn’t decided to fly the Southern flag. But this is the problem that I’m running into. no one except the highway patrol in Missouri knows about the Gadsden flag, or the American Sovereign flag, or the Culpepper, or the Bonnie Blue, or any of the rest. All people recognize is the Confederate flag, but it is tainted by slavery. And so what am I left with? I can have the Gadsden that no one remembers, the Bonnie Blue that no one knows, the Culpepper thats been forgotten, or the Confederate flag that no one understands. At least with the Southern flag it allows for dialog on the subject of Liberty to be opened. Our founders risked their lives, property, and sacred honor for the hope of Liberty from a strong central government, I suppose I will be able to tolerate the risk of my reputation.
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