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These letter writers debate why Tennessee drivers choose get the specialty plate featuring the Gadsden flag, which famously says: "Don't Tread on Me." Agree or disagree? Send a letter of 250 words or fewer to letters@tennessean.com. Be sure to include your full name, city/town and ZIP code.

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My question to anyone sporting the "Don't tread on me" Gadsden flag license plate on their vehicle is whether they disagree with state laws preventing women from getting abortion care, or laws preventing people from reading books of their choosing, or laws preventing parents from getting health care for their children.

My research and understanding of the “Don’t Tread On Me” flag, or Gadsden flag, was designed during the Revolutionary War for the Continental Navy. The flag was meant as a symbol of unity for the 13 colonies that fought against the British. I believe it is still a symbol of unity for all of us.

I have a “Don’t Tread On Me” specialty license plate and it’s not because I’m “anti-government, anti-democracy, an  insurrectionist, racist” or a member of a “gun toting militia.”

The keys allude to the status of the church, and the Celtic cross alludes to Saint Patrick, an idea reinforced by the shamrock bows.

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With our current political climate, we don’t need anything else that helps divide us, especially something promoted by the State.

Mr. Jim Bellar makes a very good argument against the plate and Mr. Duncan Bosley makes a strong argument for the plate.

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Re: Letters to the editor, “Our license plates reflect who we are,” by Jim Bellar, Jan. 13, and  “Review the history of the Gadsden flag before judging people,” by Duncan Bosley,” Jan. 21

To be used as a processional flag for liturgical purposes, the symbolism of this emblem is found in other element(s) of this record.

Just the fact that the plate creates this difference in opinion and controversy proves that the plate is divisive and should not be offered by the State.

The colours gold and green were chosen by the church to establish a link to Ireland. Additionally, the blue colouring alludes to the Marian colour, the waters of baptism, the waters of the rivers in Ottawa, and the parish’s first patron, Saint Andrew. The Celtic crosses represent the Irish heritage of the founders of the parish. The circle and shakefork allude to Saint Patrick because the shakefork appears in the same shape as a pallium, a vestment associated with him. The Y-shape is also used to allude to Ottawa, this device being found in the old emblem of the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton. The chief has its lower edge drawn with shamrocks to signify Saint Patrick’s work in Ireland. These armorial bearings become a visual metaphor or parable, being emblematic on the surface and pointing towards a deeper meaning in several places. The three Celtic crosses emphasize the Holy Trinity. The wandering lower line of the chief symbolises the idea that our lives sometime take meandering paths towards our goals. The ring represents the circle of the sun that Maewyn Succat (his original name, it being Romanized as Patricius) added to the Christian cross. On a deeper level, the gold within the ring forms a nimbus for his head and we see “Saint Patrick.” The shakefork is chosen to allude to the story of his using the three-leaved shamrock to help explain the idea of the Holy Trinity to the Irish. Moreover, the device represents a call and answer to service. The three branches represent Saint Patrick, the plan of God, and the action of Saint Patrick agreeing to follow God’s plan, from which a great work resulted. Behind the shield appears the insignia of a Papal pavilion and crossed keys, indicating that the parish church has been named as a Minor Basilica by His Holiness Pope John Paul II.

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So when you write, “But some plates, authorized by the State, serve as yet another way to divide us on  our increasingly tense and dangerous highways,” I believe your opinion is incorrect and letters like this are responsible for increasing division, tension and prejudice in this state and the country.

Benjamin Franklin in his book, “The Rattlesnake as a Symbol of America,” said: “Its design proclaims an assertive warning of vigilance and willingness to act against coercion.”

The contents of this Register are intended for research purposes only. The heraldic emblems found in the Register may not be reproduced in any form or in any media without the written consent of the Canadian Heraldic Authority and/or the recipient.

Or an annulus surmounted by a shakefork Azure, on a chief treflé Vert three Celtic crosses Or; The Arms set on an ombrellino proper, a key Or and a key Argent in saltire;