Just last week, Thursday evening, Stephen Colbert, Michael Kosta and Troy Iwata, big names in the crumbling media pantheon, set their sights on Justice Samuel Alito. What was his crime? Merely the fact that, at his own home, he flew the historic Appeal to Heaven flag.
Colbert, CBS’s once beloved host, now turned histrionic rabble-rouser, fanned the flames of misunderstanding, depicting the flag’s recent adoption by specific Christian groups as somehow unseemly. He named Dutch Sheets, a Christian author, as largely responsible for the flag’s supposed recent transformation from historic symbol to rallying cry of insurrectionists. According to Colbert, Alito’s choice to fly the flag only buttresses the accusation of political favoritism that swirls around the Supreme Court.
In a laughably inept analogy, Colbert likened the flag to a swastika, implying that Alito was inciting fear in the same way – let that sink in. How far we have come from valuing our Revolutionary symbols, that they’re now compared to the emblem of hate and genocide. An unbiased observer would recognize the stark difference between original historical contexts with narrow, politicized interpretations.
Switching to Comedy Central, Kosta continued the smear campaign against Alito. His argument: Judges ought to feign impartiality, even if it’s not true. Then, in a tasteless jab at Alito’s supposedly show-off tendencies, he compared Alito to a soccer player flaunting his victory. In Kosta’s view, Alito was veritably announcing, “I killed Roe v. Wade.”
Joining in the melee, Iwata introduced himself as the token ‘live’ reporter outside Alito’s home. He attempted to make light of the situation, claiming Alito simply enjoyed surfing and appreciated the Japanese wave painting, similar to what “white people put in their first apartment.” Apparently, subtlety and historic reference are lost on some.
The hosts continued to misinterpret and mangle the significance of Alito’s flag just to score some cheap laughs. From failing to accurately represent the meaning behind his chosen flags, to suggesting that Alito ought to imitate Saudi Arabia’s flag design for clarity – the ignorance is astounding.
They completely ridiculed the symbolism behind the Appeal to Heaven flag, dismissing it as overly cryptic. By doing so, they demonstrated a profound lack of appreciation for American history – or perhaps they were just clueless. Does everyone need a sign pointing out that a symbol comes from our founding era now?
Let’s remember this: This flag was flown by our forefathers. Flying this flag doesn’t make one an insurrectionist, a Nazi, nor a theocrat. It signifies appreciation for the struggles, victories, and principles that have shaped our nation.
The attempt to discredit Justice Alito by these disgraced media figures shows a distinct lack of understanding between valuing and respecting our nation’s history and promoting a political agenda. Even worse, they’ve demonstrated a refusal to recognize maturely understood symbolism and tradition – in favor of petty accusations and speculation.
