Went to an early morning spin class at Y today. First song in the spin set list was the National Anthem. It was outside and everyone, other than two of us, turned to the flag next to the Y’s entrance and placed their hand to their heart as the anthem played on a speaker. I decided to take a knee and not to participate in the national ritual. I’m a patriot, always have been, but “the land of the free and the home of the brave” rings hollow for me on this July 4th. Too much is going on that is unseemly, dirty, and “unpatriotic.”I later learned that the woman in the class who simply stood next to her bike had told the spin leader that the repeal of Roe v Wade was a bridge too far for her. .
Written by
Sam Webb
I'm a long-time socialist and activist, but new to the blogging world. I hope to bring a different perspective on politics, sports, culture, and Marxism. Besides blogging, I also leave plenty of time for swimming, hiking, ESPN, music, reading, drinking good beer, and, not least, my family and friends. I wish I could play basketball, but my knees ruled out that possibility long ago.
While I currently reside in New York, my politically formative years were spent in Portland, Me. and Detroit during the 1970s and 1980s. I graduated from St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia (where I played basketball) and received a MA in economics from the University of Connecticut.
I was the national chairperson of the Communist Party, USA from 2000 until 2014 when I stepped down at the convention. In 2016 I resigned from the Communist Party two years later. We were no longer on the same page.
