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South Carolina’s Governor Issued A Symbolic Proclamation On How People Should Treat The National Anthem

The proclamation isn’t just meaningless; it’s also very badly Photoshopped.

Just in time for the Super Bowl — taking place about 2,000 miles away from his purview — South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster would like his state’s residents to stand for the national anthem. Rather than simply mentioning this desire offhand or tossing out his thoughts in a press release, McMaster went another route.

He made a nonbinding, essentially meaningless, proclamation appearing as a comically bad Photoshop of a parchment and, ironically, blasted out digitally via Twitter.

The curious decree, which, again, bears no weight, authority, or meaning — beyond the conclusion that McMasters has a little too much time on his hands — declares:

  • The American flag is the greatest symbol of freedom the world has ever known
  • South Carolina has some military bases
  • The flag is to be interpreted solely and myopically as representative of the sacrifices of the U.S. military

Unsurprisingly, Gov. McMaster and fellow anthem enforcement officer Donald Trump are a tightknit duo, having endorsed each other for during their respective gubernatorial and presidential campaigns. Like McMaster, Trump has rallied support by expressing his intolerance for those kneeling or refusing to stand during the national anthem.

The tactic seems to have backfired in this instance, as virtually every response to the governor’s proclamation reads as critical.

Then, there’s this guy’s approach, which regardless of ideology, is admirable in its creativity: