We can’t guarantee it, but we’re assuming Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) isn’t getting her information about conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh directly from his radio show, since she links instead to a piece in Politico which, by the way, makes no claim that Limbaugh ever “equated” the American and Confederate flags.
What kind of person would equate the American flag with the Confederate flag? This one. http://t.co/7q9O4fUGoE So bad.
— Claire McCaskill (@clairecmc) June 24, 2015
A better source for Limbaugh’s beliefs can be found in a transcript of his June 23 broadcast, during which he wrapped up a discussion of the Confederate flag controversy with this prediction:
…I’ll make another prediction to you. The next flag that will come under assault, and it will not be long, is the American flag. Do not look at me that way. It makes perfect sense. If you take a look at the timeline of progressive events, their speed and rapidity with which the left is conducting this assault on all of these American traditions and institutions, if you don’t think the American flag’s in their crosshairs down the road, you had better stop and reconsider.
The American flag is what? It’s the symbol of America. The left what? Doesn’t like this country very much and never has and it’s getting angrier and angrier about it seemingly every day. The American flag stands for the United States of America and, as such, everything that’s wrong with it. And you wait. It isn’t gonna be long before the American flag is gonna cause chills, fear, scary thoughts, it’s gonna make me nervous, the American flag, when I see the American flag, it’s a symbol of hate.
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So no, Limbaugh was not equating the two flags; rather, he’s predicting that the United States flag will eventually come under similar attack as a symbol of hate. Just for fun, let’s give Twitter a quick scan.
No doubt the American flag represents as much/more oppression as the Confederate flag – the difference is one is already history.
— Jesse Benn (@JesseBenn) June 23, 2015
https://twitter.com/iconogasmic/status/612038776567676928
https://twitter.com/curlyheadRED/status/613362121125048320
The American flag represents just as much blood as the confederate flag, why just take down one? #TakeDownBothFlags
— Brotha B (@BlakeDontCrack) June 21, 2015
If you're burning the confederate flag because it represents racism, genocide, and slavery, you might as well burn the American flag too.
— Brotha B (@BlakeDontCrack) June 23, 2015
Confederate flag was created at end of slavery. American Flag was created 100 years before end of slavery. Which one represents slavery?
— Anthony Brian Logan (ABL) ?? (@ANTHONYBLOGAN) June 22, 2015
take down the Confederate flag, but remember the regular American flag also represents a history of slavery, white supremacy, and genocide
— Mxrk (@mxrk) June 20, 2015
https://twitter.com/curlyheadRED/status/611993791868895232
American flag is more more pervasive, accepted, and defended, yet represents a real threat with a higher murder count than the confederacy.
— Cory (@corymassimino) June 19, 2015
https://twitter.com/fisahfierce/status/605489832136220672
https://twitter.com/TrevonWasHere/status/604653533720387584
when in reality the american flag represents nothing more than mass genocide, white supremacy, and thievery.
— xav (@xavierleeds) May 2, 2015
https://twitter.com/curlyheadRED/status/591683702100463616
OK, compiling those took a good 10 minutes or so and doesn’t take into account all of the American flags burned at #BlackLivesMatter protests.
#shawshooting Flora and Thurman. pic.twitter.com/IbxALWMLq7
— Paul Hampel (@phampel) October 10, 2014
#Ferguson protesters light an American flag on fire outside the police station pic.twitter.com/awEiiyEOJi
— David Carson (@PDPJ) November 30, 2014
Burning flag is now being waved by protester. https://t.co/ACIsshDC7R
— Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) October 10, 2014
Flag burning last night in #Ferguson pic.twitter.com/n0v2NOe5lX
— Matthew Sheffield (@mattsheffield) November 25, 2014
Burning the US flag at #dcferguson https://t.co/ezUd6YzbZp
— Rania Khalek (@RaniaKhalek) November 26, 2014
Just to add some context to Limbaugh’s prediction, remember that we live in a time when the University of Michigan canceled a screening of “American Sniper” because “it made students feel unsafe and unwelcome.” A court ruled that a school district had the right to ban American flag T-shirts on Cinco de Mayo. And agree or not with Gov. Nikki Haley’s speech on taking down the Confederate flag, part of her reasoning was “the fact that it causes pain to so many is enough to move it from the Capitol grounds.”
In today’s environment when hurt and hatred is more and more often met with capitulation, is it any wonder that the American flag itself could soon be in the crosshairs?
@clairecmc Don't worry, you Democrats will go after it next. Already do so in areas that have a high number of illegal Mexican immigrants.
— Chad Hagan (@BluesOnTheBat10) June 24, 2015
Howza 'bout you read a transcript of that episode, or listen to it before casting dispersions based on an attack piece, @clairecmc?
— Leslie (@vamplita) June 24, 2015
https://twitter.com/meek_r/status/613791100138995712
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