The Gadsden Flag, a flag with a long distinguished history of defiance in face of government overreach, is in the news once again. General Christopher Gadsden, designed the flag during the early days of the American Revolution. The flag first flew high and proud in 1775.

I would venture to say that General Gadsden drew inspiration from this political cartoon drawn by none other than Benjamin Franklin.

Both strong symbols of throwing off the British rule. Both served as an inspirational call to arms, and a call for liberty and freedom during the American Revolution.

After the Revolution, the Gadsden Flag disappeared mostly from sight, until a few years ago when it was flown in protest of the Obama Administration’s overreach on taxes, regulation, and healthcare. The story below gives a bit of the flag’s history along with the idiocy of political correctness in recent years.

The latest PC idiocy involves the EEOC, Equal Opportunity Employment Commission.

The EEOC decides in all their ‘gov’t wisdom’ what does and doesn’t constitute a hostile work environment. The Gadsden Flag is their newest target.

On January 8, 2014, Complainant filed a formal complaint in which he alleged that the Agency subjected him to discrimination on the basis of race (African American) and in reprisal for prior EEO activity when, starting in the fall of 2013, a coworker (C1) repeatedly wore a cap to work with an insignia of the Gadsden Flag, which depicts a coiled rattlesnake and the phrase “Don’t Tread on Me.”

A HAT people. A HAT. This hat:

You know WHY the complaint was brought? Because Shelton D. (not his real name) did some research and found out that General Gadsden was a slave owner in the 1700’s! His feeling got stepped on and he decided that a flag created to inspire freedom over government rule – back in the 1700’s mind you – was going to trigger something, anything! Yes, folks, in case you didn’t figure it out, “Shelton D.” is African-American.

BTW: There’s not a darn thing IN the complaint where Shelton indicates that the WEARER of the oh so yucky Gadsden Flag cap said ANYTHING to him at all! Yeppers, he got his shorts in a knot over a clothing accessory y’all!

Shelton? Did you ever EVER stop and think that perhaps the Gadsden Flag is something you SHOULD consider waving around? Did you ever stop to think that the Declaration of Independence, the American Revolution, and the adoption of our Constitution paved the way to the Emancipation Proclamation? Which then paved the way for the paths of courage and bravery our country witnessed from Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King? I didn’t think so. And that’s just SAD!

What’s even worse is the free speech restrictions that Shelton has inflicted on the workplace, government AND private.

Yes, the EEOC DID say that historically the Gadsden Flag wasn’t racial. But they ALSO decided that since some white supremacist cretins threw the flag over police officers they’d just killed and some firefighters complained about the flag, it’s inherently racist. Which means..

Due to allowing this special snowflake’s complaint to move forward, the EEOC is essentially adding new restrictions employers free speech rules in the workplace or risk egregious fines. Oh wait, there’s exceptions though:

https://twitter.com/OfficialBoBice/status/761537287540834304

Pretty much.

@LibertysArmyJr @DailyCaller So wearing a Gadsen flag is harassment, but wearing a Che Guevara shirt is okay? #WakeUpAmerica #hypocrisy

— (((Douglas B.))) (@dbrin62) August 4, 2016

Will be the same double standard will apply when its “Black Lives Matter” shirts? You can take that one to the bank.

Eugene Volokh points out another uncomfortable reality. The EEOC has placed yet another restriction on an employers ability to determine their own workplace rules. They’ve ALSO placed more restrictions on our 1st Amendment right to free speech. In other words, don’t show up to work with a Trump/Pence, or “All Lives Matter,” bumper sticker on your car or even suggest that you might vote for Trump. You do that and your employer faces a huge risk of lawsuits and fines. Think I’m kidding? I’m not.

The ride down the slippery slope of political correctness idiocy and loss of freedom just sped up folks. The ending will be painful if we don’t stop it and soon.