My state is in the news again!  This time, a group of veteran Marines want to fly the Gadsden flag on the state Capitol on July 4th, but was denied their request.  The flag has special significance for Americans, as the snake and motto emblazoned upon it were two of the chief symbols of the American Revolution.  Throughout the years it has served as a reminder of the freedoms American fought for in that war.  Recently, it has been taken up by the Tea Party movement for that purpose.

I can understand the arguments on both sides.  One side says that it was the first flag of the Marine Corps, and thus deserves a spot on the Capitol building.  The Capitol Police say it is not an official Marine Corps flag, and furthermore denied a request from last April, because politicians (not named in the article but likely Democrats) deemed it a political symbol.

I did a little research, but the best I find is that the Gadsden flag’s status as official is ambiguous.  It was carried into battle, and was used as naval Commander Esek Hopkins‘ personal standard, but whether it was adopted by the Marines officially is unknown.  Maybe somebody with a better understanding of Marine Corps history can answer this better.

As for the Gadsden flag being a political symbol, I say, “Of course it is!”  Its imagery was adopted from a political cartoon, for one thing.  Then there’s that fact that it was used as one of the standards for a war stemming largely from a political dispute on taxation.  However, it is significantly more than just a political symbol to the minds of most Americans.  It is a sign of freedom, and personally I think that is the stronger symbol than it being the banner of the Tea Party movement.

The Democrats in the General Assembly need to stop playing partisan games and allow the flag to fly on July 4th.