Don't Tread on Me?

On this issue, Dana Eiser and Nancy Roberts agree: The Gadsden Flag, known for its snake and motto "Don't tread on me," is a political statement and doesn't belong on government vehicles — especially Summerville Police vehicles.

The flag, which was designed by South Carolina native and Continental Col. Christopher Gadsden, currently adorns at least two police vehicles, according to complaints. 

The flag has historical significance in Charleston, as Col. Gadsden presented the flag to the state legislature in Charleston. But  the flag's meaning, which once represented the commander of ships of war during the time of the American Revolution, has changed.

Eiser, the president of the conservative LowCountry 9.12 group, and Roberts, a self-proclaimed liberal who lives in neighboring Dorchester County, both said although the flag used to represent patriotism, it now represents the Tea Party, 9-12 movements and other conservative political organizations. 

Roberts became aware of the vanity plates this past weekend when her daughter alerted her to the issue. Roberts and at least one other citizen have contacted the town's mayor to complain.

"I was dumbfounded," Roberts said. "I know 'Don't tread on me' — we're a military family. I realize the historical significance but, I'm sorry, that's the Republican sign now."

She said if she was pulled over in her vehicle, sporting many left-leaning stickers on it, by an officer who had the Gadsden Flag on his police car, she would feel unfairly targeted. She also said she would complain if the police car had a donkey, symbol of the Democratic party, on the vehicle.

But Town Mayor Bill Collins doesn't see the flag as political or offensive.

"I absolutely think it's patriotic," Collins said. 

He called the complaints over displaying the flag on a government vehicle a "nonissue," adding, "some people don't have enough to do … We've got enough on our plate to worry about if someone interprets something as Republican or Democrat."

Capt. Roger Pierce of the Summerville Police said the vanity plates adorned the vehicles "well before the Tea Party was formed." 

"It's not a political statement on our part," Pierce said.

Eiser disagrees. She said the flag is "very political" and that public perception of the flag has changed.

"All symbols take on a completely different meaning and that's exactly what's happened to the Gadsden," she said. "At one time it was very American but because it is now a symbol of the Tea Party, it's no longer very American. It is very right … You can't protect the good of the community if you are showing you are one way or another."

As far as the policy of customizing vehicles, public information officer Capt. Jon Rogers said the vanity plates are allowed. 

"Of course we don't want anything obscene on them, but that's the only restriction," Rogers said. "(The vehicles) have not violated that policy."

Two requests to speak with the police chief regarding the vanity plates were declined. A request to speak with the officers who chose to display the flag was re-directed to Rogers. 

When asked how many of the department's cars displayed the flag, Rogers said that with more than 100 vehicles in service he couldn't say.

State law (Sections 8-13-765 and 8-13-1346) does not allow government vehicles to sway voters with messages like "Vote for" or "Vote against," but according to State Ethics Commission General Counsel Cathy Hazelwood, flags or symbols do not fall under those guidelines. 

"It's going to have to have something that you relate to vote for, vote against," Hazelwood said. "Even a photograph of a donkey without some other language is not a violation of the Ethics Act."

Hazelwood said Summerville Police Department should have clear, cut rules on what is OK and not OK on the vanity plates.

"Does that build morale? Where's the dividing line?" Hazelwood asked.

And that's likely something decided on the municipal level, according to Municipal Association of South Carolina Deputy Executive Director Eric Budds. 

"There are no standardized, statewide best practices or policies (for customizing public vehicles)," Budds said. "That would be handled by policies established by council, the town administrator or city manager and police chief… There would be some guidelines as to how vehicles can be used and what decals can be place on it for official purposes and whether there is any ability to put anything personal on the vehicle."

Patch sent a Freedom of Information Act request to the police department seeking internal information regulating customization of police vehicles. Patch received this response from Rogers: "We do not have a policy relating to bumper stickers or vanity plates."

Eiser and Roberts both said that the issue boils down to personalization of a public vehicle, and that while an American flag or the emblem for the town would be fine on a public vehicle, anything else shouldn't be allowed, especially something related to a political movement.

"Why are they allowed to have any kind of vanity plates? That makes no sense," Roberts said. "These are government vehicles. The man or woman that's driving that vehicle needs to be a police officer. It's what the car and what the badge represents."