And since so many leftists view those ideologies as racist and hateful, they've come to view that flag in the same light, regardless of its historical context.

Which may explain a recent decision made by a federal agency known as the Equal Employment Commission. They're responsible for handling harassment claims made by federal employees, and earlier this year they received a complaint from a black Postal Service employee. He claimed that the federal government had subjected him to racial discrimination because a coworker was allowed to a wear a hat with a Gadsden flag emblem.

As for why he thought the flag was racist, he cited the fact that the creator of the flag, Christopher Gadsden, was a slave owner, and because the flag was used by Tea Party activists. In reality, the flag has no racial connotations, and not just because being a Tea Party activist doesn't automatically make someone a racist. The flag was created as a military banner during the Revolutionary War. It has no racial context.