I know, right? From what I can tell about the world, this title may come as a surprise to many — y’all TRULY stan this Chris.
I personally have always been more of a Chris Pine girl, but whatever.
Now as you guys KNOW, Chris has been rlly busy lately getting married to Katherine Schwarzenegger and staring in the Avengers movies.
Now if he co-stars in a sequel to Bride Wars , y’all can give me a call cause I haven’t forgot about THAT lil’ acting stint, Mr. Pratt.
In between being *king of the big-screen* Chris has been out with his wife doing ~typical~ rlly mundane, down to earth, poor people things.
Like walking down stairs… SO goofy!
Except a few days ago, he was spotted stepping out doing ~everyday~ things in this t-shirt.
The shirt features the worlds “Don’t tread on me” with a coiled snake and the American flag.
This image is known as the Gadsden flag and was designed during the American Revolution.
Since its intial creation , the Gadsden flag has taken on many different interpretations and has been adopted by the Tea Party and far-right political groups in support of things like the Second Amendment.
More controversially, it has also been linked to white supremacists in certain circumstances.
This left many to question Chris’ political stance and beliefs.
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The initial tweet of Pratt in the shirt has amassed over 2,000 comments.
The shirt sparked a political and historical debate.
People were quick to point out that the symbol represents the pride of the American people.
The 13 parts of the snake represent the Thirteen Colonies.
I think it’s important to know the history of symbols like this for when they are taken out of context and used by groups to fuel hatred.
That hatred was absolutely NOT what Chris was channeling.
A lot of people felt the drama was ridiculous.
True, people are mad at the shirt he’s wearing but no, it’s actually NOT from Walmart.
Weird that an A-List Hollywood actor wouldn’t shop at Walmart, but hey.
The shirt was designed by Forged Apparel, a Navy SEAL-founded clothing company which donates a portion of their proceeds to veteran groups across the country.
Overwhelmed with the support and the hate, Forged Apparel released a public statement in support of Pratt.
“First and foremost, we are a Navy SEAL-founded, patriotic, and military-inspired brand,” they began.
“Our CEO and members of our Forged team served alongside military service members of all races, cultures, and ethnicities.”
They continued, “Chris Pratt has been a great friend and loyal supporter of Forged since our paths crossed back in 2011.”
“Since then, his support has helped both Forged Clothing and The Murph Challenge raise millions of dollars for military and law enforcement families and foundations.”
“He has never ONCE asked for a dime in return and has always used his own funds and resources to help promote these campaigns in honor of others.”
They concluded, “Chris Pratt is by far one of the most humble and selfless Americans we have ever known. We will ALWAYS have his back.”
Forged made it clear they were not taking down the shirt, but instead re-stocking it, posting this collage on their homepage.
“The Forged Resurgence Is Back” their website reads.
The shirts are available for pre-order.
The website also features the hashtag #DONTTREADONPRATT.
It’s unfortunate that this t-shirt turned into one big mess and misunderstanding.
I think it’s safe to say Chris was not using the shirt to spread hatred at all .
Let this serve as a reminder to learn your history, kids!
What do you think of the controversy? Let us know in the comments below!
