Alito flew a Christian Nationalist flag at his vacation home

[Nevilledog]

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/22/us/justice-alito-flag-appeal-to-heaven.html

No paywall link
https://archive.li/qYhll


Last summer, two years after an upside-down American flag was flown outside the Virginia home of Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., another provocative symbol was displayed at his vacation house in New Jersey, according to interviews and photographs.

This time, it was the “Appeal to Heaven” flag, which, like the inverted U.S. flag, was carried by rioters at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Also known as the Pine Tree flag, it dates back to the Revolutionary War, but largely fell into obscurity until recent years and is now a symbol of support for former President Donald J. Trump, for a religious strand of the “Stop the Steal” campaign and for a push to remake American government in Christian terms.

Three photographs obtained by The New York Times, along with accounts from a half-dozen neighbors and passers-by, show that the Appeal to Heaven flag was aloft at the Alito home on Long Beach Island in July and September of 2023. A Google street view image from late August also shows the flag.

The photographs, each taken independently, are from four different dates. It is not clear whether the flag was displayed continuously during those months or how long it was flown overall.

*snip*

This fucker gotta go

[malaise]

1. Nicole will discuss after the break

This is madness

[B.See]

29. Insurrectionists, radical rightists, men without honour...

on the take in in the pocket of the insurrectionist in chief.

[beaglelover]

2. I wonder which town on LBI his house is in. We used to vacation there for a month when I was a kid growing up.

Fabulous place to spend the summer.

[Bettie]

3. I'm surrpised he doesn't wear a patch

with it on his robe when sitting on the court.

Frankly, they should have patches with their various owners on their robes, to ensure we know who they work for. Call it disclosure.

[WarGamer]

4. Calling it a Christian Nationalist Flag is... for lack of a better word... absurd.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pine_Tree_Flag#:~:text=The%20design%20of%20the%20flag,for%20the%20ships%20Washington%20commissioned.

According to legend, months prior to Colonel Joseph Reed's suggestion for using the pine, the pine was used on the flag that the colonists flew at the Battle of Bunker Hill in June 1775, though this is disputed by modern scholars. The historically accepted flag has a red field with the green pine tree in the upper left corner as depicted in John Trumbull's The Death of General Warren at the Battle of Bunker's Hill, June 17, 1775 painting. Provided Reed was aware of the Bunker Hill flag, there was a precedent to incorporate the pine in another Colonial martial flag.

The phrase "Appeal to Heaven" is a particular expression of the right of revolution used by British philosopher John Locke in his Second Treatise on Government. The work was published in 1690 and refuted the theory of the divine right of kings. In chapter 14

[maxsolomon]

11. "Coopted by" Christian Nationalists works, though.

The Gadsen Flag, the upside-down Stars & Stripes. MAGAts love to cloak themselves in American Revolutionary regalia.

When they're not shouting "Molon Labe" while wearing a Punisher T.

[blogslug]

22. Yes. Many examples of Christian Nationalists sporting the pine flag in this article

https://towcenter.medium.com/the-pine-tree-flag-how-one-symbol-at-the-capitol-riot-connects-far-right-extremism-to-christianity-f02314a5f759

[B.See]

30. including that rebel flag, the Nazi flag, and their desecration of the American flag via alterations

such as trump's name plastered on it. But hey, they so love the Stars and Stripes, eh?

[Nevilledog]

16. Guess you should talk to a company who sells it. It's what the flag means today.

https://www.americanflags.com/blog/post/an-appeal-to-heaven-flag-meaning

What Does an Appeal to Heaven Mean Today?

Today, the Appeal to Heaven flag transcends its historical origins, resonating as a symbol of resilience, justice, and the unyielding pursuit of liberty. It reminds us of the fundamental values upon which America was built and the ongoing need to safeguard these principles.

For many, it represents a moral compass, guiding the nation through challenges and inspiring a commitment to a higher cause. Popular among Republicans and Christians, it is seen as a symbol of Christian nationalism, often flying on the National Day of Prayer. In a world where battles for rights and freedoms persist, the legacy of this flag serves as a powerful reminder of the enduring American people and their journey towards a more perfect union.

[Nevilledog]

18. Andrew Seidel's take (Lawyer/author on 1st Amendment & separation of church and state)

Link to tweet

Andrew L. Seidel
@AndrewLSeidel
·
Follow
So this is a huge deal. The Appeal to Heaven flag was all over the insurrection and comes out of explicitly Christian Nationalist spaces. Sam Alito is professing his Christian Nationalism.

Kyle Griffin
@kylegriffin1
BREAKING NYT:

Samuel Alito — two years after flying an upside-down American flag outside his Virginia home — flew at his vacation home an 'Appeal to Heaven' flag, which, like the inverted U.S. flag, was carried by Capitol rioters on Jan. 6.

It appears to have been flown over…
2:57 PM · May 22, 2024

[Blue Owl]

5. Let him find some leadership position in a church for fuck's sake

Get him off our Supreme Court

[Cha]

6. Freaking Fascist.. Did Jesus "Lie"?

[NanaCat]

20. Funny you ask.

Because, yes, he did lie. Like that ask and receive bit. Worse, he repeated that one rather often.

He lied when said faith could move mountains.

He lied when he said the sky would open up and drop angels on him. The person he told that to (Nathaniel) never saw it. And nobody else did, either.

He said that his 12 disciples would each rule a tribe of Israel. Makes that Judas issue kinda thorny, don't you think?

He lied when he said everyone who came before him was a thief or a robber. Which is rich, given how he once told his minions where to go to steal a donkey for him, so that he could pretend to fulfill an obscure (and v stupid prophecy).

[50 Shades Of Blue]

7. Guess he can't blame this one on his wife just being pissed about the Fuck Trump sign on the neighbor's

lawn.

[Model35mech]

8. Alito's family is clearly anti-Constitution and anti-Federalism

as a solution to this problem is NOT provided in the Constitution...

the resolution of having an anti-Constitution jurist who swore to uphold the Constitution, and an anti-Federal jurist who serves in the Federation's highest court must be left to the individual States... Right?

What works for anti-abortionists, should work for anti-Federalists.

Pretty clear the federal courts will NEVER find language against this.

[Coventina]

9. Thomas and Alito (and others) have made SCOTUS totally morally bankrupt.

All three branches of our government are corrupt.

I have no idea what the remedy is.

[NanaCat]

23. Even Biden is corrupt?

You sure you want to make that claim?

[Coventina]

35. That's not what I meant, I apologize for not being clear.

While I love Biden, the sad truth is that the Republican party is thoroughly rotten and I firmly believe stole the 2016 election, just as they stole the 2000, and 2004 elections.

This leaves the executive branch far too vulnerable to corruption. The process has become corrupted by the Republican party, just as they have corrupted the legislative branch.

[cilla4progress]

10. The Pope just called Republicans suicidal.

?si=Kvoj4R46ZZyrheIz

[bucolic_frolic]

12. An enemy of the State ruling on the State.

A lot wrong there.

[MineralMan]

13. Ain't That Some Shit?

Who's he going to blame this time? He needs to resign. Period.

[gab13by13]

14. I recently posted this, it needs posted again

3 high ranking Senate Democrats, Schumer, Durbin, and Blumenthal, publicly stated there were no plans to investigate Alito/Thomas. The 3 stated that Alito should recuse himself, when asked what if he doesn’t, Durbin said there is nothing we can do.

We cannot normalize this fascist behavior, yet we are.

[MOMFUDSKI]

17. There is nothing we can do.

How about making as much noise as you can muster DAILY?

[NanaCat]

24. So your go-to is to blame the Democrats for that

Rather than the traitor GQP who refuse to vote to impeach in the House, and, even if an impeachment happened, wouldn't cross the aisle to convict in the Senate?

But yeah, the Democrats are supposed to get that done despite a gigantic obstacle they can't get around.

Totes makes sense.

[gab13by13]

31. I have a suggestion, action to take.

Is your suggestion to do nothing, to normalize the fascists?

Are billionaires immune from subpoenas? Subpoena Harlan Crowe and other billionaires who own the fascist justices. Doing nothing normalizes them.

[MOMFUDSKI]

15. Holy Hell! These folks are running the whole

show. Separation of what?

[Takket]

19. can't wait for absolutely nothing, not even a hearing, to be done aobut this

[NanaCat]

25. Out here in the real world

People focus their energies on what they can do, not on the impossible.

And it's impossible to do anything about this guy when the Democrats don't control both houses of Congress.

[gab13by13]

32. I don't understand your post

The Senate has committees that can investigate and subpoena power.

[markpkessinger]

40. You can subpoena Alito until the cows come home . . .

. . . and he'll just ignore it. And his conservative colleagues will back him up, citing the separation of powers. So it would be a complete and utter waste of time and resources to do what you are suggesting.

[Sneederbunk]

21. Next, skull and crossbones?

[Hermit-The-Prog]

26. Alito is one of six subversives on the court.

[czarjak]

27. Finally...

The Baptists and Catholics can unite in harmony? Only took a Black guy..

[Silent Type]

28. Nothing will happen, besides we don't need flags to know where Alito stands.

Nor do I need an FDR, Carter, Kennedy, Obama, Biden portrait to know where those appointed by Democrats stand.

Anyone who thinks we can keep politics out of any branch or position of government, ain’t paying attention.

[gab13by13]

33. Ari, is that you?

Tell me you can see the difference between Democrats and Magats. The Republican Party is gone.

[Silent Type]

34. Big difference, but I really don't care about complaining about flags. And don't call me Ari.

[gab13by13]

36. Sorry, maybe I misunderstood your post

It sounded like you were saying FDR, Carter, Obama, Biden governed politically just like Republicans do. Guess I made a mistake.

[Evolve Dammit]

37. Resign Magat traitor.

[Torchlight]

38. Fingers crossed a few more who were previously apathetic see this, and a few more, and then a few more

Every little bit helps and each grain of sand makes the beach one grain larger. The story could easily outmanage those pretending to manage it, spread to the previously under-interested, and catch on before anyone even knows what the consequences are.

Alexis de Tocqueville reported that no one foresaw the French Revolution in 1789. Vladimir Lenin was amazed by the success and speed of the Russian Revolution over a century later (and that caused him a few or more headaches along the way to tyranny). And few predicted that a Tunisian man’s self-immolation would spark revolutions across the Arab world in 2010 (except a coworker who tells us he would have forseen any of that coming from a mile away. He's pretty special, so he says).

People out in the world wanting to watch the world burn can't allow themselves the realization that naturally-occuring sparks cause more forest fires than a Zippo with an American flag on it ever could. Organic messes are the messiest.

[bigtime]

39. Clarence complained that the supremes are impoverished due to their low salaries

Great that Alito can afford to fly his flags over both his posh primary residence and his luxury beach vacation home. Certainly we should all be assured there’s no largesse from his billionaire benefactors supporting this luxurious lifestyle. 🤬