We don't talk enough about the Tea Party as the major precursor/progenitor of the alt-right. They are seen to use don’t tread on me to promote a bigoted vision of race and power in America. In the 2010s, don’t tread on me also became associated with the alt-right, who espouse white nationalism. They may use don’t tread on me in their opposition to gun control, which they perceive to be infringing on their constitutional rights. It’s also associated with gun-rights activists and supporters of a broad interpretation to the Second Amendment. Members of these groups may use don’t tread on me (and the # donttreadonme on social media) to express their beliefs, especially about small government and taxation. The phrase don’t tread on me is associated with a variety of official political groups, including the Libertarian Party and Tea Party. #WomensEqualityDay #AgHag #thisiswomenswork #rancHer /3RSJMVv5SZ That’s me holding a tool I use to castrate, in front of heavy equipment I drive, wearing a shirt of the female reproductive organ that says ‘don’t tread on me’. Live Your OWN Life, No One Else's: /a8s48g59y9 The phrase may appear in a variety of other imagery or products, from tattoos to bumper stickers. They may also fly the Gadsden flag featuring the motto. Many Americans-civilians, military personnel, liberals, and conservatives-may use don’t tread on me to express national pride or champion individual rights and freedom. This is somehow very controversial in 2019 where you need to conform to the mob. "Chris Pratt" “Don’t Tread On Me” reflects the basic principle of individual freedom that people want to be left alone to live their own lives without outside interference. The different uses and associations of don’t tread on me has made the phrase a loaded expression in contemporary political discourse. The employee wrote that Christopher Gadsden was a “slave trader & owner of slaves,” and that his flag had become a “historical indicator of white resentment against blacks stemming largely from the Tea Party.” In 2014, for instance, a Black US federal employee felt discriminated against by a coworker who wore a hat with the Gadsden imagery. It was adopted by conservative and libertarian groups, including the Tea Party in 2009 in their platform for small government and lower taxes.īecause some supporters of these groups have been accused of racism, their critics view the flag and motto as an expression of bigotry. In the 2000–10s, don’t tread on me-and the broader symbolism of Gadsden flag-became increasingly politicized. The tread in Gadsden’s defiant phrase, don’t tread on me, means “to step, walk, or trample so as to press, crush, or injure something.” And so, with its tongue flicked, fangs out, and body coiled in defense, the rattlesnake (and motto) warns: “If you dare put your foot down on me, I will strike.” Benjamin Franklin notably used it, saying the rattlesnake never backed down when provoked, which captured “the temper and conduct of America.” The snake was an established symbol for America at the time.