Letter: Use of Gadsden flag ‘offensive’
Friday, July 12, 2013
The Ridgewood News
Use of Gadsden flag ‘offensive’
To the editor:
Did anyone else notice the Gadsden flag marching with the Tea Party in the Fourth of July parade? Although I realize the Tea Party has a right to walk in the parade, as much as I have the right to give them the thumbs down as they walk by, I find the waving of the Gadsden flag, in its current context, to be offensive.
This flag is from the American Revolution and the colonists used this symbol of the snake with the words “Don’t Tread on Me” against the British. In 2009, the Tea Party began using this flag, but this time it is being used as a symbol against our own democratically elected government. The NRA does the same.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/opinions/215188731_Letter__Use_of_Gadsden_flag__offensive_.html#sthash.618Cxc1k.dpuf
America – still a country where people can carry flags in parades, give parade marchers the ‘thumbs down” or even write crazy letters to the editor – regardless of who they offend…
Author of this letter writes “The parade committee does a fabulous job, but I wish they would open up the parade to groups that better reflect the citizens who live here.
Bonnie Chalek”
This quote, along with some of Bonnie’s other rants, highlight her ignorance, intolerance, stupidity and obvious disdain for the tea party movement. Shouldn’t she at least be required to know something, anything, about parade policies before she offers her uninformed critique?
Why do these loons always land in Ridgewood?
What a WACK
The context is the same–objecting to overreaching on the part of one’s own government. The flag was flown from the mainmast of Commodore Esek Hopkins’ flagship in 1775–BEFORE WE DECLARED INDEPENDENCE! Is the writer of this letter being intentionally obtuse? If this is the best she can come up with to complain about the NJ Tea Party Coalition’s appearance in Ridgewood’s Independence Day Parade, I would say she’s about out of ammunition!
I saw this woman, standing right across from MacMurphey’s with both thumbs pointing down, grimfaced, with nobody else joining in her disgraceful display. The parade marchers wisely declined to engage with her.
The woman was free to express herself. No one needed to engage her in a discussion.
I think that nobody was willing to endure the agony of engaging her in a predictably fruitless conversation. That’s a sad situation for her, IMHO.
This is Bonnie’s annual 4th of July Parade anti-Tea Party rant. I guess she is taking the letter writing mantle from Al Ortiz’s (2012)….
Last Year:
Bonnie Chalek support of Al Ortiz anti-tea party letter:
“It isn’t a question of disagreeing- it is a question of should the Parade include “political” groups with agendas- that was the argument. I am saying the Tea Party has an agenda and by the rules of the Parade Committee- should not be included.”
LINK with Full discussion on the Ridgewood Blog: https://www.northjersey.com/news/opinions/162313346_Letter__Tea_Party_does_not_belong_in_Ridgewood_parade.html?c=y&page=1
Al Ortiz’s letter 4th of July anti-tea party letter to the editor (2012):
https://www.northjersey.com/news/opinions/162313346_Letter__Tea_Party_does_not_belong_in_Ridgewood_parade.html?c=y&page=1
And as mentioned above, LINK to Bonnie’s 2013 letter:
https://www.northjersey.com/news/opinions/215188731_Letter__Use_of_Gadsden_flag__offensive_.html#
Nothing new to see here…
I admire a woman who has the courage of her convictions. She has a right to express herself in the press and at the parade. I do not think that the parade is a place for marchers to “engage” a spectator in a discussion. I also think that this woman can express herself and would not be afraid of the t party reps.
I think that the t party flag should be a small man with an oversized microphone. A cartoon character.
Its ok if she expresses herself but god forbid anyone who disagrees with her does.
#9/Bonnie: There is no need to be afraid of anybody, particularly your neighbors, who are determined to uphold and restore constitutional principles so routinely ignored and denigrated now by our democratically-elected federal government.
Actually, I had never heard of her before. I looked at the links and find her to be very interesting. Why is that so hard to believe?
The t party is a group that has been marginalized by the Rpublican Party. The party has tried to move away from them. Maybe the t party should try to become a new political party. They really do not fit in with the Republicans. I agree with the Republicans on a lot of issues, but the t party turns me off.
If I were Bonnie would be proud to admit it. She used her name when giving her opinion in the papers. She would probably use her name on this blog. Is it that hard for you to understand that someone admires her?
What Ridgewood residents “are determined to uphold and restore constitutional principles so routinely ignored and denigrated now by our democratically-elected federal government” and exactly how are you (they) doing that?
looney Kazooney
Is that your Pen name?
” I find the waving of the Gadsden flag, in its current context, to be offensive.”
Right – we don’t want any American symbols of fredom and liberty being displayed in a parade celebrating American Independence.
Some people are so blinded by hatred.
Tea Party patriots need not worry about establishment republicans seeking to marginalize them. The latter are small in number by definition. The former has the potential to grow like a wildfire at any given moment. Tea Party patriots stand a good chance of exerting increasingly heavy influence in upcoming elections as well as during important policy debates between elections, and as Martha Stewart would say, that’s a good thing.