Chris Pratt’s Gadsden Flag T-Shirt Caused A Stir On Twitter
Another day, another life or death battle for the very soul of America rages on. The other day Loud’nProud patriot Chris Pratt stepped out wearing a t-shirt featuring the words “Don’t Tread On Me” and a snake, which are associated with the Gadsden flag. The image was superimposed over the red, white and blue stars and stripes of the American flag. Yahoo! reported on the lewk, initially saying he was criticized for wearing a ‘white supremacist’ T-shirt’ and of course, because of #thesetryingtimes, all hell done broke loose. Yahoo! later amended the headline to read he was criticized for his “t-shirt choice”, but it was too late. Conservatives and liberals alike #TookToTwitter to express their general outrage.
Here’s Chris out with his bride Katherine Schwarzenegger asking not to be tread upon.
https://twitter.com/NRACountry/status/1151327281048145925
— hunter harris (@hunteryharris) July 15, 2019
According to Yahoo! (and anyone else you could ask), there is nothing inherently racist about the Gadsden flag. But in recent years it’s been adopted by far right extremist groups.
The writing and snake combo on its own is depicted on the Gadsden flag; a symbol created by Christopher Gadsden, a Charleston-born brigadier general in the Continental Army.
It came to prominence during the Revolutionary War of the US by colonists who wanted independence from Great Britain.
Although the symbol has a non-racial history – it is has been used by the U.S. men’s soccer team and Metallica – over the years it has also been adopted by political groups like the Tea Party and some Libertarian groups, as well as gun-toting supporters of the Second Amendment.
Here are some of the predictable reactions to “Chris’ Choice” (which I’m thinking of optioning for a movie. You know, like Sophie’s Choice but way dumber) on Twitter.
If you replaced the current protesters with right wing extremists waving nazi flags on US soil this commercial could work pic.twitter.com/KRkmHcUDRD
— Maximilian Uriarte (@TLCplMax) March 1, 2019
https://twitter.com/chompsky5/status/1151352237110779905
Chris Pratt, decent American, and seemingly cool dude, wore a t-shirt with a historical symbol on it.
He’s a White Supremacist now, y’all.
https://t.co/ub9nQYj7XR— Young Conservatives (@YoungCons) July 17, 2019
https://twitter.com/scrowder/status/1151319081393545216
This is pure idiocy. Not every symbol of the early republic is a white supremacist symbol, unless you are a moron. https://t.co/zWT7GZK602
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) July 17, 2019
How the hell is the “don’t tread on me” flag, which is fully authorized by the @USNavy racist? Stay strong @prattprattpratt
Chris Pratt Smeared as 'White Supremacist' for Wearing Gadsden Flag Shirt https://t.co/d2miMvCAd3
— Carl Higbie (@CarlHigbie) July 17, 2019
If this “controversy” looks a little one-sided, there’s a reason. I couldn’t find very many tweets condemning Chris’ choice. Most of the response seems to be in reaction to Yahoo!’s headline. As far as I can tell, there are far more people applauding Chris for his bravery and patriotism than are people actually calling him a white supremacist or swearing off the next Guardians of The Galaxy movie for any reason other than the last one sucked. But facts are immaterial. The shirt struck a nerve, as I’m sure Chris knew it would. He knows, and we know, and he knows that we know, what he’s about.
Personally, I’m far more concerned with the fact that Katherine is out here giving Chris pet pigs as a birthday gift.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BzTxLJGpcg7/
I wonder if Chris told Pete The Chihuahua he was going to go live on a farm too.
Pic: Instagram