I’d take a knee if both of mine weren’t titanium. It requires much heavy lifting to return them upright once they reach the floor.

Pious hypocrisy and flag-waving indignation obscure the intent behind athletes taking a knee during the national anthem or pledge of allegiance.

Taking a knee is a peaceful demonstration against a government that claims liberty and justice for all. Demanding fair treatment is not unpatriotic.

Side note: The pledge of allegiance was written by a socialist minister, Francis Bellamy. I’m pretty sure this forgotten bit of history has escaped the current regime.

Ratifying the equal rights amendment would protect women economically and prevent pregnancy discrimination.

Current senate majority leader has stated he is not a supporter of the amendment. His wife has a cushy job as US Secretary of Transportation with a salary nearly Two Hundred thousand dollars a year, (one hundred and ninety-nine thousand and seven hundred to be precise).

In a recent segment on NPR, Ruth Bader Ginsburg said, “Every constitution in the world written since the year 1950 has the equivalent of an equal rights amendment, and we don’t.”

Maybe it’s time for women to take a knee too.

Categories: Unfiltered

JoAnn Williams

I am a lifelong Southerner, short story author, and essayist. Home is Dallas, Texas.
My essays have appeared in Flash Fiction Magazine, The Dead Mule School of Southern Writing.