Colorado’s Democratic Governor Goes to Bat for 12-Year-Old Student With ‘Don’t Tread On Me’ Patch: ‘Let Our Kids Have Their Free Expression’

Colorado Governor Jared Polis (D) went to bat for a student in his state who was removed from class for affixing a Gadsden flag patch to his backpack on CNN Wednesday night, arguing that children should be allowed to express themselves politically in school.

An administrator had originally explained the decision by erroneously arguing that the Gadsden flag’s origins were related to “slavery and the slave trade,” rather than the American Revolution.

Polis pushed back on the original decision and explanation during an interview with Abby Phillip, arguing that political symbols worn by students “enriches the discussion.”

“‘The ‘Don’t Tread On Me’ flag, the Gadsden flag is really an iconic American flag. It’s flown over units of our military, you know of course it’s been adopted by the Tea Party and others, sure it has, but a kid could have an ‘I love the Tea Party pin on their backpack too,” said Polis. “Let’s just let kids have their free expression in school, and if they want to advocate for their political beliefs, I think that’s something that should be encouraged.

“Do you think that that’s why this teacher made that association to slavery? Because it has been associated with the right, with the Tea Party and perhaps with the Republican Party?” asked Phillip.

Polis replied by dodging the bait to deliver a political hit to instead deliver history and civics lessons:

You know, it’s a good opportunity to really go through the history and see the pride really as Americans that we should all take in the Gadsden flag. The rattlesnake, as Ben Franklin said ‘They never attack first, but they never back down once they’re in a fight.’ And a lot of Americans identify with that spirit. But look, it goes deeper that. If we want the moral high ground, Abby, to say that schools shouldn’t be banning rainbow flags on kids’ binders or backpacks to celebrate Pride, we have to also say they shouldn’t be banning free speech on the other side. This is a country that treasures free speech and frankly I hope it leads to a frank discussion in that school and others around the country about how free speech means that we support the speech even when we don’t agree with it.

Watch above via CNN.