New York Times editorial board member: seeing ‘American flags’ is ‘disturbing’
Thomas McDonald
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The New York Times’ Mara Gay said that she was disturbed to see pickup trucks with “dozens of American flags” during her recent trip to Long Island.
“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,” Gay said while appearing on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe”
Watch the segment here:
The Times is vigorously defending Gay’s comments, tweeting the following statement. “New York Times editorial board member Mara Gay’s comments on MSNBC have been irresponsibly taken out of context. Her argument was that Trump and many of his supporters have politicized the American flag. The attacks on her today are ill-informed and grounded in bad-faith.”
Reactions to the Times’ defense of Gay’s comments poured in from right wing commentators and journalists.
“Spin away – we heard her loud and clear,” Megyn Kelly said.
“I watched the entire interview. Nothing was taken out of context,” another user wrote.
“So don’t believe what we heard? Nice try idiots,” said Jon Nicosia.
Since making her comments, Gay has received an onslaught of criticism on social media. “I see I’m being trolled with the American flag this morning. Trolling a Black journalist with the American flag is not the own some people think it is,” she tweeted.
“What’s really “an own” is that you think the American flag is somehow an affront to your “blackness.” My friends and military brothers say otherwise. Check your privilege,” replied Buzz Patterson.
Another user brought up Martin Luther King’s use of the America flag during the civil rights movement.
“LOL! ‘Trolling?!’ The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., made the AMERICAN FLAG the symbol of the Civil Rights movement. MLK LOVED the flag. He never marched without it. Let that sink in,” Montgomery Granger said.
“No, you are being trolled for being anti-American -no one cares about your color, gender, who you want as a sex partner, what car you drive, etc,” Tony Shaffer replied.