On Tuesday, Mara Gay MSNBC contributor said that she was “disturbed” to see “dozens of American flags” flown by Donald Trump supporters during a weekend trip to Long Island, New York.
Speaking on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, she said the flags were being flown on trucks belonging to Trump supporters, with the vehicles also bearing expletives against President Joe Biden.
This is a disgusting display of hate for the very nation that gives her the freedom to talk about just how “disturbed” she is by others practicing their first amendment.
Mara Gay quoted:
The reality is here that we have a large percentage of the American population — I don’t know how big it is, but we have tens of millions of Trump voters who continue to believe that their rights as citizens are under threat by simple virtue of having to share the democracy with others. I think as long as they see Americanness as the same as one with whiteness, this is going to continue. We have to figure out how to get every American a place at the table in this democracy, but how to separate Americanness, America, from whiteness. Until we can confront that and talk about that, this is going to continue.
I was on Long Island this weekend, visiting a dear friend and I was disturbed. I saw you know, dozens and dozens of pickup trucks with expletives against Joe Biden on the back of them, Trump flags, and in some cases, just dozens of American flags, which is also just disturbing, which essentially the message was clear, this is my country. This is not your country. I own this.
And so until we’re ready to have that conversation, this is going to continue. What is concerning to me as well is, it’s not just Democrats in Congress. I think there’s a large percentage of Americans, even some of my colleagues in journalism, who are invested in some way in pretending that this isn’t the threat that it is. That is the real concern. Because, you know, the Trump voters who are not going to get onboard with democracy, they’re a minority. You can marginalize them, long-term. But if we don’t take the threat seriously, then I think we’re all in really bad shape.
NYT/MSNBC’s @MaraGay: In Long Island last weekend, I saw “dozens of American flags,” which was “just disturbing” pic.twitter.com/RhGdqqJope
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) June 8, 2021
She claimed Americans would continue to see things like that until the country was ready to have the conversation about “Whiteness,” adding her concern that “a large percentage of Americans” don’t understand the threat that it is.
Her comments received a scathing response on social media, where the commentator was slammed for what many said was a dig against displays of patriotism.
‘As a son of a WWII [veteran], I proudly display the American flag on the front of my house,’ tweeted Harry McNeir.
‘American flags is now considered hateful what the hell is going on with our country,’ posted @DankRhythm.
‘Wow dozens of American flags the horror of it lol,’ Blake Katrin commented.
‘Wait now a pickup truck with an American flag is now racist?? What’s next saluting the American flag?’ tweeted @swell472.
‘Why is skin color even being brought into this discussion?’ tweeted Matt Haubrich. ‘This narrative is disgusting and they keep peddling it, and Joe’s panel says nothing. I find people who group everyone inboxes very disturbing.’
Sources: The Gateway Pundit, Fox News, Daily Mail, MSNBC
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