"Don't Tread on Me": Post- Overturn of Roe v Wade

 

          

This photo is of a woman protesting after the Supreme Court recently decided to overturn Roe v Wade. In the 70s, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Roe which codified the right to an abortion. The woman featured in the photo has her hair up and is wearing a hat, glasses, and a mask. The mask is most likely being used for protection against COVID-19, but having all three articles together suggests that she might be trying to conceal her identity. This could be because she might fear being arrested or profiled for participating in the protest. She is also wearing a denim vest accompanied by pins and patches that highlight women’s fight and power. People oftentimes wear denim in support of anti-sexual harassment and assault. The denim symbolizes the lack of blame that should be placed on a victim and what they were wearing. This is usually practiced on a certain day of the year, but this woman, knowingly or not, still represented this. The woman is holding two posters: one that says “Keep Abortion Safe and Legal” and another that says “Fight Christian Nationalism.” In addition to the phrases, there is a picture of a snake in the shape of a uterus. This is not a random image of a snake, but rather a depiction of the “Don’t Tread on Me” snake. The image of the snake originates during the Revolutionary War where the snake is cut up to symbolize the colonies and is accompanied by, “Join or Die.” This was made to evoke unity of the colonies against outside nations. After the war, a flag was made with a full snake accompanied by the wording “Don’t Tread on Me.” This represented the country's liberty, patriotism, and nationalism.

Robert N. Bellah's essay “Civil Religion in America” explores civil religion outside of organized religion in the United States. Civil religion refers to a set of beliefs, symbols, and rituals that unify a nation. It often draws on religious themes and imagery but transcends any specific religion. American civil religion operates alongside Christianity but serves as a separate vehicle for national religious self-understanding. While Christianity is left to individual churches and personal beliefs, civil religion provides a unifying framework for the nation's political and social identity, often revolving around patriotic themes and national identity. Civil religion has had a pervasive influence on American society, shaping political discourse, social movements, and national identity. Bellah says, “The civil religion in America reflects the profoundest commitments of the Western religious and philosophical tradition while integrating common beliefs of ordinary Americans, serving as a point of articulation between the two” (Bellah 1967:15). Civil religion has been evoked by many political leaders, but also by common day people to create support for certain causes and beliefs.


The “Don’t Tread on Me” flag is part of civic religion because of its popularity during the American Revolution and its use today by American citizens. Like many symbols of American civil religion, the flag commonly represents liberty, freedom, and national identity. In recent years, the flag is most commonly associated with conservatives, libertarians, and right-wingers (being featured prominently in the January 6th insurrection). Since its supporters are commonly associated with bigotry and racism, so is the flag. Since the poster uses snake imagery in the shape of a uterus, it is subverting the meaning of the flag to shed light on the rights and liberty of women - who are often times excluded from America’s patriarchal view of liberty and freedom. The poster evokes a sense of righteousness against the common use of civil religion in America and fights for symbolism that includes women and their reproductive justice and rights. The accompaniment of the phrase, “Fight Christian Nationalism,” further shows how the poster is trying to subvert America’s civic religious norms. To protest for women’s right to abortion access, this woman evokes Bellah’s symbolism of civil religion for inclusion and justice for women.







Bibliography:




Anon. 2018. “Where Did ‘Don’t Tread On Me’ Come From And What Does It Mean?” Dictionary.Com. Retrieved March 28, 2024 (https://www.dictionary.com/e/pop-culture/dont-tread-on-me/).




Bellah, Robert N. 1967. “Civil Religion in America.” Daedalus 96(1):1–21.

Bem, Gray. 2022. “A small group, including Stephanie Batchelor, left, sits on the steps of the Georgia state Capitol protesting the overturning of Roe v. Wade.” 50 years after Roe v. Wade, fight for choice turns into battle for religious freedom. March 28, 2024. https://www.timesofisrael.com/50-years-after-roe-v-wade-fight-for-choice-turns-into-battle-for-religious-freedom/