The Gadsden flag “Dont Tread On Me” motto and coiled rattlesnake is representative of today’s birthright citizenship dispute, as roughly one of every 12 newborns in the United States are “anchor babies.”
Back in 1751, Benjamin Franklin penned a sardonic commentary in his Pennsylvania Gazette suggesting that colonists should send rattlesnakes to Britain as a “thank you” for their policy of sending felons to America. In 1754, he used a rattlesnake in the “JOIN, or DIE” illustration to drive home an additional point, and that was his first known political cartoon in an American newspaper. The rattlesnake’s sections represent the colonies and the curves imply the Atlantic coastline. The states of New England are merged into the head of the snake.
A common superstition back in the day is that a snake cut into pieces might come back to life if its pieces are put back together before sunset. “JOIN, or DIE” initially had nothing to do with independence from Britain, but rather a call for unity to defend the colonies during the French and Indian War. Newspapers throughout the colonies reprinted Franklin’s political cartoon, and the Boston Gazette added the words “Unite and Conquer” flowing from the mouth of the rattlesnake. The rattlesnake became a symbol of unity and eventually appeared in art, banners, uniform buttons, caricatures, flags, newspapers, paper money, political cartoons, and a multitude of paraphernalia. Here is a newspaper header from the Massachusetts Sun:
Following the French and Indian War, Charles Townshend proposed a succession of acts in the House of Commons known as the Townshend Acts. Britain needed to raise money to pay for the seven years of war and believed the colonists were responsible for a fair share of the debt through various taxes since they benefited from Britain’s military strength. The series of acts included:
- Commissioners of Customs Act
- Indemnity Act
- New York Restraining Act
- Revenue Act
- Stamp Act
- Sugar Act
- Vice Admiralty Court Act
The colonists were not happy about taxation without representation and unrest ensued. Britain dispatched the military to keep peace in the Boston region, but it turned out to be the trigger of outright rebellion. The presence of British troops on American soil angered the colonies and eventually led to the Boston Massacre in 1770. The majority of taxes were repealed immediately, but the tea tax led to the Boston Tea Party in 1773. The Townshend Acts, along with the Sugar and Stamp Acts, led to the Battle of Lexington and Concord in 1775 and a full-blown American Revolution as finality. In December 1775, an anonymous source reported to be Benjamin Franklin wrote a note to the Pennsylvania Journal. Here is an excerpt:
“I observed on one of the drums belonging to the marines now raising, there was painted a Rattle-Snake, with this modest motto under it, ‘Don’t tread on me.’ As I know it is the custom to have some device on the arms of every country, I supposed this may have been intended for the arms of America.” – Great Seal
When America defeated the British and a peace treaty was negotiated in 1782, English cartoonists depicted the patriot colonists as “The American Rattlesnake.”
Fast-forward to present day and we have Britain and Europe suffering severely from self-destructive immigration policies that have cast a deadly wave of terrorism across their continent due to embedded elements, an unknown social and monetary burden, and a lack of cultural assimilation that has led to a proliferation of “no-go zones.” European Union member states are now rebelling against their unelected globalist overlords who do not represent their best interests, and the lords have launched “judicial infringement procedures” in retaliation.
Why Poland doesn’t want refugees – A nation battles EU efforts to distribute asylum seekers – Politico, May 2017
Italy and Hungary Create ‘Anti-Immigration Axis’ – Gatestone Institute, Sep. 1
Meanwhile, the United States has a festering illegal immigrant invasion issue on its hands due to the inaction of politicos spanning decades and a demonized, newly-elected POTUS trying to sort out the uncoordinated and failed immigration policy left behind by predecessors. To make matters worse, a recent Yale and MIT study estimates there are 22 million illegal immigrants residing in the U.S. vs. the previous estimate of only 11 million, and a current wave of invader caravans en route from Central America have the audacity to sue the U.S. over rights they do not possess.
Migrants traveling to US sue Trump, government; claim violation of constitutional rights – Fox News, Nov. 2
In response to the current caravan approaching the Mexican border, the U.S. military is in the process of deployment to help stem the tide and assist border patrol with security logistics.
US troops lay down barbed-wire fencing along Mexican border ahead of caravan – NYPost, Nov, 3
An underlying critical issue has arisen to the forefront just when U.S. citizens are about to vote in their Capital Hill representatives during the midterm elections on Nov. 6. Is “birthright citizenship” in the Constitution?
Trump’s Critics Are Wrong about the 14th Amendment and Birthright Citizenship – National Review, Aug. 2015
Here is Chapman University School of Law Dean Dr. John Eastman in his most recent mainstream media interview explaining why the 14th Amendment does not give the children of illegal immigrants or legal tourists automatic citizenship at birth.
The 14th Amendment does not say that all persons born in the U.S. are citizens. It actually says “[a]ll persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof.” The second half of the phrase is most critical and conditional and is typically ignored by advocates of blanket “birthright” citizenship. Anyone illegally present within U.S. borders does not subject themselves to the political jurisdiction of the United States, nor is citizenship extended to the children of illegal aliens, tourists, or diplomats. The conditional phrase refers to political allegiance and jurisdiction that a foreign government has over an individual. Just because an illegal alien or a tourist is subject to our laws and courts if they violate said laws, that does not place them in the political jurisdiction of the United States. The 14th Amendment language included not owing an allegiance to any other sovereign nation.
What is the financial burden on taxpaying citizens for the illegal population? Here are the estimated costs…
Yes, Immigration Hurts American Workers… “Anyone who tells you that immigration doesn’t have any negative effects doesn’t understand how it really works… Both low- and high-skilled natives are affected by the influx of immigrants. But because a disproportionate percentage of immigrants have few skills, it is low-skilled American workers, including many blacks and Hispanics, who have suffered most.” – Politico, Oct. 2016
The Fiscal Burden of Illegal Immigration on United States Taxpayers… “A continually growing population of illegal aliens, along with the federal government’s ineffective efforts to secure our borders, present significant national security and public safety threats to the United States. They also have a severely negative impact on the nation’s taxpayers… At the federal, state, and local levels, taxpayers shell out approximately $134.9 billion to cover the costs incurred by the presence of more than 12.5 million illegal aliens, and about 4.2 million citizen children of illegal aliens. That amounts to a tax burden of approximately $8,075 per illegal alien family member and a total of $115,894,597,664. The total cost of illegal immigration to U.S. taxpayers is both staggering and crippling.” – FAIR, Sep. 2017
Central American Immigrant Population Increased Nearly 28-Fold since 1970 – Poverty and welfare use double that of native-born Americans – Center for Immigration Studies, Nov. 1
Metallica – Don’t Tread On Me
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