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“I thought it was great, I loved it. The shirts fit my personality perfectly. They’re military and they’re patriotic. That’s my thing. I wore them to all over the place, to my kids’ baseball games – everywhere. And I got nothing but compliments about how great they were. No one ever said they were offensive, because it’s obvious that they’re in support of the military and the United States.” That’s Marine Mario Alejandro describing shirts his family had given him that they’d bought from The Marine Reconnaissance Foundation which supports Marine recon operators like him and their families. There’s only one thing the leatherneck didn’t take into account. He was in New Jersey . . .

The Garden State, of course, has always been known as a bastion of tolerance, decorum and…gun control. Which might be why Alejandro told nj.com he was grabbed as soon as he entered the park with a star-spangled AR screen printed on his chest.

“I was walking in through the gate with my wife and kids, who were in front of me, when a security guard grabbed me and said: ‘I can’t let you into the park with that shirt on. That shirt’s offensive,’” Alejandro said on Tuesday. “I said that it’s not offensive, it’s a military shirt. I told him that I am an Iraq veteran… I served in the war. But he said: ‘I don’t care, you have to take that off… or you need to buy another shirt to put over it.’”

Appealing to supervisors didn’t change the ruling, so Alejandro left with his wife and son in tears. As you might expect, Six Flags’ local spokesnoid, Kristin B. Siebeneicher, said they were just following company policy.

“Our goal is to maintain a fun, safe and family-friendly environment. Our dress code does not permit clothing with vulgar, offensive or violent language or images,” she wrote. “If a guest is wearing such attire, we ask them to remove and replace it with another item of clothing; and if they do not have one, they are able to purchase a replacement item at a gift shop.”

God only knows the carnage and mayhem that might have ensued had Alejandro been allowed to blithely stroll through the park, wife and son in tow, with the image of a rifle on his shirt, right out there in the open for anyone to see.

But then it was time for Siebeneicher to burnish the company’s ‘We support our troops and veterans!’ bona fides.

Siebeneicher added that Six Flags is extremely proud of its longstanding relationship with the U.S. military.

“We work closely with them throughout the season to offer special events that honor our service men and women and their families, including a recent July 4th tribute, and an upcoming ‘Salute the Troops’ event over the Labor Day weekend,” she said. “In addition, active members of the Army, Navy and Air Force helped open our new thrill ride this summer.”

Yep, Six Flags loves them some military types as long as they don’t look to vulgar, offensive or violent. The mind boggles at what would happen if a vet they let in had gnawed a pizza slice into the shape of an M9 and shouted, “Pew, pew!” while pointing it at someone. It’s probably no fun at all being escorted out of the park at the point of Elmer Fudd’s shotgun.

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131 COMMENTS

    • Right there with you. Not giving another cent to Six Flags until an apology is issued to Mr. Alejandro, and he be allowed to wear what he wants.

    • Six flags is the only park I’ve been to lately that makes me feel more violated than the TSA does.

      Water Country, Disney, Universal – they just don’t want glass in their parks. Six Flags gave me a fucking pat-down.

      I don’t voluntarily patronize them at all.

  4. First off i am not saying the company was in the wrong but as a parent and husband he should of sucked it up and either put on a different shirt or turned his inside out so he wouldn’t disappointed his wife and son and gone in he in his heart knows the meaning of loyalty as a mirine extend that to your famil also and as an american i thank him for his service to protect the country but sometimes you have to choose your battle

    • A*good* parent shows by example what you do in the face of bullies and stupidity: You don’t capitulate.

      • I think he should have kept calm, turned it inside out, walked through the gates, and then put it back the correct way. Tell his kid that stupid rules are meant to be violated.

        OTOH, his method may do more ultimate good, but more likely SF doesn’t give a sheet.

        • You guys do know that Great Adventure has a Batman themed dark ride that features the Joker’s clown henchmen firing PGO shotguns?

      • You ar 100% correct. Set the example and do not train your children to be sheep.

        Six Flags is free to set what ever policy they want. They are also free to suffer the consequences of said policy.

    • I might have agreed with Tim once upon a time, but living in CT where catering to fools has gotten us more fools (Gov Malloy) and our Rights stolen from us has me rethinking that failed strategy.

      First, use your voice to speak out against this kind of absurd foolishness. Being quiet gets you stepped on.

      Second, let your wallet do the talking and boycott businesses that don’t support our civil rights. The other side is boycotting businesses that support our rights.

      Third, register to vote, and if neither candidate is good, vote the one that is in office out to disrupt the corruption and connections.

      • If he had complied with sixflags and put on a different shirt, would we be hearing about this right now?
        Would we even know that six flags NJ hates veterans?
        I don’t think we would.

        • “Hates veterans” is a tidge excessive, methinks; “values PC above life itself,” though, is about right.

        • They do hate veterans. Its actually pretty common place these days unfortunately. The pendulum is swinging back in the other direction now that the wars have gone on too long, so people are going back to spitting on all the “baby killers” and blaming the faults of the administration on the soldiers.

        • Just like we dont want a law enforcement carve out for gun laws there can be no military carve out for their rules. Rules are rules and they should affect everyone. It works both ways. Not saying I agree with them but whats good for the goose is good for the gander. He would have been told the same thing whether he was ex military or not, he was not singled out because of it.

  6. F##k great amerika. I know these catch pennies have dress codes. I was made to put on a shirt many years ago( I was pretty thenLoL). No curse words allowed. But this is beyond the pale. Boycott the hell outa’ them.

  7. I’ve been to Six Flags… that shirt is hardly offensive compared to what I’ve seen there.

  8. I wouldn’t rail on sixflags specifically. Each branch seems to be completely independently managed…
    That said, New Jersey sucks.

    • Excellent point; I’m surprised some legislator didn’t wet him/her/itself and dial 911 when seeing this guy walking down the street.

    • Yeah, I’m gonna go out on a limb and speculate that this wouldn’t happen at the original Six Flags Over Texas

      • The former Six Flags Astroworld ( in Texas), before it was shut down used to have a swing ride supported by giant pistols. Never would see a ride like that in Great Adventure.

    • I went to Wild Wood once time with my family. Pulled into the lot, and the attendant ( a large Italian “gentleman”) pointed out a space for me to pull into. I pull in going forward. As we were getting out of the car, the guy comes up to me and tells me to turn my car around to face the other direction. I can’t see that it makes any difference one way or the other, so I ask, “What for?” To which, in his thick Jersey accent he replies, “Because I said so.” Fearing what might happen to the car while we were gone, I decided not to argue the point.

      • For those of us who have escaped by swimming across the Delaware river in the dark of night, we refer to it as “The People’s Demokratik Republik of New Jersey”

  9. The new format has some glitches I’m sure the staff are working out, but one just started today. Everytime I start to scroll on a page, or open up a new page, a pop up add from apx.zedo.com appears in a new window. I generally access ttag from my phone, so I haven’t noticed if this occurs on a desktop.

    Rich white people problems, I know.

  10. Y’know, I wonder if their security and any “visiting” LEOs have to put away or hide their “vulgar” thingies?

    BTW, vulgar properly means the language, accoutrements or habits of the masses; f’rinstance, when the Nobility of England were all speaking Latin and French exclusively, English was the “vulgar tongue.”

    Another example was during the Protestant Secession when the Catholic hierarchy got all bent out of shape at the appearance of Bibles printed in vulgar tongues – hoc est, non in Latin.

    So… I look forward to day the when guns are truly vulgar.

    • I have a season pass to Great Adventure and their security guards are only armed with trash pickers. That said, Six Flags is a scaby company that is disliked by even roller coaster fans who complain about the poor management and operations. Great Adventure is the same park where 16 kids burned to death in the haunted castle fire, it is the worst ran park in the Six Flags chain which is quite a feat.

  11. After looking at her profile, I can just hear Ms. Siebeneichers
    voice.
    I strongly dislike faces and voices like hers, and I truly hate their messages.
    I’m guessing my t-shirt picturing “the thinker” sitting on a toilet, with the words, “The Quran, now in two ply” wouldn’t pass muster either?

  13. I just bought a “My favorite color is Bake lite” shirt. I should be able to stealthily wear it anywhere I want with only AK or aware gun owners getting it.

  14. I chuckled at the response he said he gave when he was told that the violent image on his shirt wasn’t allowed in the park:

    “I said that it’s not offensive, it’s a military shirt. I told him that I am an Iraq veteran… I served in the war. But he said: ‘I don’t care, you have to take that off… or you need to buy another shirt to put over it.’”

    In other words, “Hey, it’s okay, it’s state sanctioned organized killing, so we’re good!!”

  15. So, when I was at Six Flags earlier this month, and a teenage girl was wearing a black shirt with white writing of “Fuck OFF!!” this was OK but a this guys shirt wasn’t?

  16. If the AR had been printed with a rainbow instead of the Stars and Stripes, there’d have been no issue.

    • Or if It was a giant rainbow colored dick, a threatening statement in Arabic, or Spanish, he would’ve been fine, because if your wearing something offensive that’s related to an “oppressed minority” the shit woulda hit the fan on CNN, and then Six Flags would’ve made immediate apologies and sent him a big old fat check. The liberal nightmare is here.

  17. I feel if you are current or past military you damn well have earned and have the right to wear any thing you please! Any damn where you please! …. so with that said, I will always support our men and women of the military…. and anyone who doesn’t please kindly get your s*** and gtfo!

    • GTFO of their own property?

      You’re either the special kind of dumb that mindlessly prattles on about the military without comprehending what the Constitution actually means or you’re parodying “‘Merica!” people.

      • Makes sense, fighting for our freedom entitles them to deprive us of our freedom. Its the model most of the rest of the world has used successfully for millennia, are you saying there is a better way?

  18. Talk about freedom in the US…
    Not being able to wear what you want; it’s getting closer and closer to North Korea at this point!

    Maybe instead of this shirt, they’d surely prefer a rainbow shirt picturing some dildos on top of a marijuna leaf?
    I’m sure that would be more “appropriate” for those guys…

    • I would seriously like to see your sources that suggest the N. Korean government would tolerate a large PRIVATE corporation publicly deriding someone for supporting its military and statehood.

      • Have you ever been in N. Korea? Watch some documentaries about it? Don’t be fool to be believe you can wear whatever you want over there. And btw, it’s not the only country in the world where you can’t wear some clothes considered as “inappropriate” by the local government… if not even by the local people.

        • That woosh you heard was my joke going over your head. Again why would the Korean regeme support PRIVATE corporations in banning apparel that shows support for said regime?

  20. Was it some wet behind the ears, teeny bopper who made that decision or was it a girly man or was this just a Jersey thing?

  21. “Hey Lucas, you just learned that the management at Six Flags over Jersey are spineless twats who disrespect our servicemen in the name of political correctness! What are you going to do?”

    I’m going to Disneyland.

  22. Ah Stalag New Jersey,,,,, sigh,..

    How are those casinos doing in Atlantic City?

    Those shirts just increased sales exponentially in 3,,,,2,,,,1,,,,

  23. I sent the nj.com link to a buddy at Joint Base Maguire. I asked him to spread the word on both sides of the base.

    And that Six Flags’ local spokesnoid’s resume looks like she’s a Shannon wanna-be.

  25. F ‘Em deep n hard. Then slap Em cross the face with it. Tell Em “now THAT was offensive. This shirt was not.

  26. 1. I like the shirt.
    2. 6 Flags is a private company and private property. They get to make the rules (at least some of them).
    3. Better for private businesses to have some freedoms to make their own rules than have the government tell them what they are (any more than they do).
    4. We get to vote with our $$’s on where to spend them.
    5. I won’t be spending any of mine at 6 Flags but if others chose to do so, then I support their right to choose as well.

  27. We normally hold our anual company outing at sixflags all 250 members plus their family will be going elsewhere this year amd avery year after that as long as I own this company good bye sixfags not another peny from me

    • Write to them and tell them. Declaring it to the world in a forum is a good start, but if they don’t see the immediate and negative impact their policies have on their bottom line, then nothing will change. I wrote them already. I posted my letter to them further down in the comments.

  28. I don’t understand why anyone would join the American military today.

    If you are wounded, the VA will treat you like sh1t while illegal aliens get the best health care.

    Bradley Manning will get a sex-change operation at government expense but you won’t get to see a doctor for a year, if you’re lucky.

    American businesses like Six Flags will treat you like you smell bad.

    Politicians want to take away your right to self-defense because you invented PTSD.

    If you defend yourself in Iraq or the ‘Stan, you might be court martialed.

    The pay sucks and the upper-echelon is composed of political hacks who are too busy svcking Democrat @ss to look out for the people they command.

    The Navy dresses you in blue camo so if you fall overboard nobody will ever spot your body.

    And god forbid if you try to read a bible.

    • You are most certainly correct, we called allot of those things, “the big green dick” in my unit. Being the army’s big green dick would F you six ways from Sunday. But Most of us never joined to for benefits, money, or notoriety. We joined out of patriotism, want of service, tradition, or adventure. And as much as it pisses me off that this happens to veterans, America has been pissing on its veterans for along time now. America loves them the first couple years of war, and then the pendulum swings back the other way and they spit on all us baby killers.

      • Yes there’s still the retards that call us baby killers and accuse us of going and killing the innocent, but for all the douchebags like that, this country is still far more accepting and helpful to veterans of Iraq/Afghanistan like myself than they were to men like my father and his generation coming home from Southeast Asia.

  29. I want to try going to the six flags in my area while wearing a pro freedom shirt. I just want to try my luck because even in my area (ca) it doesn’t seem like this would be a big deal.

  32. I agree with most everyone… No amusement park get’s my money since I can’t even ride one any of the rides… Something about a loose cane falling off a ride and hurting someone…
    Those places are for rich people and sheep…

  34. Jersey resident here. I followed the contact link posted above in the comments and wrote them to tell them about their policies. I highly recommend anyone who has or may again visit a Six Flags to contact them sooner rather than later so they can feel the impact of their policies. Here is what I sent them:

    Recently I became aware of the disabled Marine veteran Mario Alejandro and the treatment he received at your Great Adventure park. I understand the need for a dress code in a family environment. What I am unclear of is who determines what is and isn’t “offensive”. When it comes to rights that are enumerated under the Unites States Constitution, exercising our First Amendment rights to show support for our Second Amendment rights hardly seems offensive, or even dangerous. Not only would you be surprised at how many people in New Jersey support gun ownership despite some of the strictest laws in the nation, you may be surprised at just how hard it is to gun down a crowd of people using nothing but a picture on an article of clothing. If a silhouette is offensive, what about obese people in spandex? How up to date is your staff on the latest internet slang and acronyms depicting things that are actually illegal? Are there certain musicians whose clothing would be offensive?

    As a New Jersey resident, I have had many great trips to Great Adventure. I’ve also purchased season passes over the years. But until your park issues a formal apology to Mario Alejandro and re-reads the first two sections of the Bill of Rights, I cannot return to your park and support your policies with my business. I will also actively campaign against your establishment to those I know and recommend Dorney Park in Pennsylvania as a rights-friendly alternative. Please reconsider your policies.

    Thank you for your time.

  35. Dress like a classless prole, get treated like one.

    I recall a time when self respecting military men wore at least a collared Polo and kacki shorts when they were out with their family in the summer.

    • ^^^ This ^^^ I bet if it had sleeves they never would have stopped him. Why dress like a slob? Way to represent the Corps.

      • What are you, 8?

        Men don’t wear sleeveless shirts with large tacky trite sayings out in public, especially with their families.
        If you want to be treated with respect, have some respect for yourself, your family, the Corps, and the place you are visiting.

        • But the point is, its not that he was wearing a trashy shirt, but that it had pro gun stuff on it. Take it this way, if it had been the same shirt, but instead had a giant rainbow colored dick on it, and he had gotten kicked out, CNN woulda had a shit show about how his civil rights had been violated and the park would’ve immediately issued a formal apology and then sent him a big fat check.

        • Well, I don’t see that shirt as being particularly pro-gun, pro-2A, or pro-military. It’s just stupid and I don’t understand what kind of a statement he was trying to make by wearing it to a park full of little kids – or why he wouldn’t just cover it up and have a nice day out with his family. But to each his own.

      • NO! It is high time people learned that the AMEICAN way is the way of conformity and that failing to conform is grounds for derision discrimination and even unequal treatment under the law. Men have fought and died for our inalienable natural and constitutional right to enforce dress codes. Its what founding fathers built this nation on! Remember, if people don’t like it you cant do it, that cant possibly be the POTG in the rear right?

  37. Time to rally. The bent time Six Flags invites military families to celebrate, they ALL need to wear NRA gun showing, 2nd ammendment supporting, American Flag waving shirts just to piss off management.

  38. I grew up all over NY state and frequently crossed into NJ for concerts, family events, or just wanderings. I’ve been to this park a number of times, and I find this very disappointing, so like SuperiorPosture I followed the above link… Here’s what I sent:

    I have in past years visited your park with a number of very good friends. I think we all found the park to be a wonderful place to enjoy occasional weekends and summer weekdays off from work. However, given the park management’s view on civil rights, I don’t think I’ll be returning anytime soon.

    I recently heard that your park prevented Mario Alejandro, a Veteran US Marine and his family from entering, due to the opinion that a shirt Mario was wearing could be interpreted as offensive. After viewing the shirt my conclusion is that the park’s management, rather than the shirt, is inappropriate.

    I value and respect veterans and American civil liberties more than a few days a year spent in your park.

  39. I’m gonna disagree on this one, by a narrow margin.

    It’s their private property, so they can set the rules how they like. If people don’t agree with them, and I don’t, they can and should vote with their wallets.

    That’s why me and the other residents of Doug-E-Stan have officially boycotted the entire state. 😉

    • Who are you disagreeing with? “im not giving them my money and Im telling them why” seems to be the common thread of this section.

  40. It’s cool to say, “I’ll never go to Six Flags again!!!!!” I agree with that sentiment, but a more effective response would be to write a short, polite letter to Six Flags explaining why you feel that way. That’s what I’m going to do right now. I don’t think I’ll say anything at all about gun rights though. Instead I will protest their assault on freedom of expression.

    Relevant addresses:

    Six Flags Corporate Offices
    924 Avenue J East
    Grand Prairie, Texas 75050
    230 Park Avenue, 16th Floor
    New York, NY 10169

    Six Flags America
    P.O. Box 4210
    Largo, Maryland 20775
    Rick Howarth, Park President

    • Perhaps a group of people wearing that shirt should deliver the letter. Maybe even notify the press of said delivery. . That would make a much stronger statement.

  43. fides.

    “Siebeneicher added that Six Flags is extremely proud of its longstanding relationship with the U.S. military.
    “We work closely with them throughout the season to offer special events that honor our service men and women and their families, including a recent July 4th tribute, and … active members of the Army, Navy and Air Force helped open our new thrill ride this summer.”

    Suggestion: next “special event” or 4th of July, let’s see thousands of military folks show up at 6 Flags in similar T-shirts.

  45. I think anybody should be able to wear whatever shirt they desire. However, I do know quite a few combat Vietnam Vets that you would never guess were in the military. Many WWII Vets were the same way.

  46. The Marine Reconnaissance Foundation does NOT sell those shirts – makes me wonder what else this guy is lying about. Bet he’s not even a marine – just a thug in a macho t-shirt.

    • I just have to play the race card here because I cant believe you would have said that if this were about an old white man. Also you are wrong since you can buy this shirt now. Its not on their web site but they are pushing the hell out of them on their FB page… but im sure you just missed that during the comprehensive research you did to avoid looking like the bigoted tool you are.

  47. He could have simply turned the shirt inside out. What a bunch of drama over what could have been resolved in a few seconds, followed by endless whining and rationalization.

    • “He could have simply”… turned in his pistol? moved to the back of the bus? stayed on his side of town? gone back to Mexico where he belongs? I take it there is nothing you would be willing to fight for as immaterial as rights dignity respect patriotism.

      • I am not an extreme activist on gun rights but I still fully believe in the 2nd amendment rights and support our right to carry.
        Every instance where someone says “you could have complied and ended the drama” brings about a reduction in our rights and abilities to carry. Yes, this gentleman could have complied but he stood up for him beliefs and wouldn’t allow Six Flags to discriminate against him. We each have to stand up to what we believe in to the extent we are willing. Don’t dictate to this gentleman what he should believe in or not. That is what Six Flags was doing and he made the personal decision to leave.
        The more people that comply with these situations with the “you could have complied” attitude, the more the opposition to our rights will use the “you could have complied, its only a little inconvenience” reasoning to restrict our rights. I recently had a discussion with a mom that was very vocal about her daughter seeing a person openly carrying in a retail store. Her opinion was “why do they feel the need to carry a gun in the store? Are they that afraid!” My response was: They were being prepared. they were not afraid or expecting to need the gun. Her reply was to suggest leaving it in a vehicle so as to not expose her daughter to the sight of the gun since there was no expectation of being attacked in the store. I explained that many attacks do not happen in the stores but happen in the open parking lots where escape is easier for the criminals and leaving the gun in the car eliminates its purpose of protection. I then asked her why she feels she needs to shield her daughter from the sight of guns rather than explain that handgun carry is allowed for people and teach that people that do carry properly are safe. Unfortunately that ended the discussion.
        This was a case of “If they don’t NEED to carry they should not carry” and this attitude will lead to the abolishment of all our rights.

        So did he NEED to comply and change his shirt?

  48. I’m offended by t-shirts that advertise against my political and moral ideologies. Can I get those people removed from the grocery store when I go to shop? I’m offended by billboards advertising strip clubs, can I get those removed too. But more that anything, I hate those stupid gold hog nuts our local (SC) dumb-asses like to hang from their truck bumpers. Can I get those removed from my sight? (I have been known to spray paint those blue. At least then, they’re funny.)

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