| Little-known historical flag bears big message |
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| Opinion | |||
| Written by Jesse Trimble | |||
| Tuesday, 10 November 2009 08:00 | |||
I’ve always been a history buff at heart and more recently an avid gun enthusiast, but most importantly, a supporter of Second Amendment rights. There’s a difference between just shooting guns and knowing the vast history behind our right to do so.  The United States, as a country and before it was a country, has had a long history of flags — specifically, flags relating to our independence when we were at war with Great Britain. Many may come to mind, such as the “Don’t Tread on Me” flag, also known as the Gadsden flag, which is yellow and features a rattlesnake coiled up, prepared to strike. Or there is Ben Franklin’s popular “Join or Die” flag. However, my personal favorite is a flag that may be better known to Texans. My father was born in Texas, and so were all of his sisters and one brother, so even though I’m not a Texan, the state holds a special place in my heart. The flag I’m talking about — recently gaining popularity among conservatives and gun-rights activists — originally was called the “Come and Take It” flag, or Molon labe, a Greek phrase that means “come and take them.” Mixing my love of guns and history, it was a magical moment for me finding out about this flag. The phrase “come and take it” was a slogan used during the Texas Revolution in 1835, and if it weren’t for the small town of Gonzales, Texas, we may not have this flag today. The Battle of Gonzales was fought on Oct. 2, 1835 between Texian settlers and a detachment of Mexican army troops. Four years earlier, a lieutenant in the Mexican army gave the colony of San Antonio a small cannon, and it was transported to Gonzales to assist in protecting residents against Comanche raids. As turmoil and the power of Mexican President Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna grew, federalists throughout the country began protesting. Turmoil spread, and Col. Domingo de Ugartechea advocated the removal of the cannon from Gonzales. The city refused to return it. Ugartechea sent 100 infantrymen in on horseback to get it, and up to 140 Texians gathered in Gonzales during the next few days to make sure the cannon stayed where it was. Although Mexican soldiers did not attack, Texians soon began to fire, and the Mexican forces fled. Despite the fact that not much of a battle occurred, the Battle of Gonzales was the first military fight of the Texas Revolution, which ultimately led to the infamous Battle at the Alamo in San Antonio. Originally, the Texians painted “Come and Take It” on a white flag with a representation of the Gonzales cannon and a black star at the top. Over the years, the flag has been seen sporting other forms of weaponry on it for a more modern look. In the 1980s, an AR-15 military rifle replaced the cannon, and in the mid-1990s, a Barrett .50-caliber BMG rifle was placed on the flag. No matter what form of gun is placed on the banner, it’s the symbolism behind the flag that we need to keep in mind.
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