Image by Flickr user Gage Skidmore

First, a bit of quick history the "Don't Tread on Me" flag, aka the "Gadsen Flag:" It was designed by and named after general and native Charlestonian Christopher Gadsden and was a rallying point in the mid 1770s.

If you've been following any of the Tea Party rallies you've likely noticed a resurgence of use in the flag that has floated through American history for the last two-and-a-half centuries.

Today, I spotted a column about the flag and its history that points to a less kind interpretation of the flag's roots and instead says it was an attempt by Gadsen and others in the upper tiers of society to ensure the people's views were "aligned with and led by the native rich."

And that columnist, president of the S.C. New Democrats, says that the Tea Partiers are once again being manipulated by the rich and the flag is the hallmark again.

Take a read here.