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. .