Editor:

“I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

That’s why I reflexively took a knee at the Buckingham Board of Supervisor’s meeting during the pledge, this Tuesday, Oct. 10. What does kneeling mean to you? To me it is a beautiful act of humility and loyalty. In this case, for me it means inclusivity, for which, at times, we are so horribly, sadly, embarrassingly in short supply. I instantly knew that if I didn’t kneel, I would not be true to myself, true to these words; I would be a hypocrite. With liberty and justice for all. Not just for us white “pink” folks who happen to top this planet’s miserable pecking order. 

My heart cries out for people of color that live with daily hate and a full spectrum of injustices that we pink folks are sheltered from and oblivious to. My heart cries out for the many peoples of Puerto Rico who horrifically, sadly and shamefully still have no clean water to drink, while we here in Virginia are blessed with three inches of rain that we so badly needed. My heart cries out for the peoples of Vietnam, Iraq, Yemen, Syria, Afghanistan, etc. and other victims of our very failed foreign policies and greed. Meanwhile, our Vice President makes a premeditated protest at an NFL game, going out of his way and costing the tax payers a million dollars, that could be spent helping to put out the wildfires in California that are caused by climate change that we cannot even talk about for fear of hurting the feelings of the oil and gas industry who think they rule the world. Phew. Connecting the dots…

So, yes, I will kneel with the pledge, again and again, praying for freedom and justice for all. Will the Buckingham Board of Supervisors too, get down with me, on bended knee to pray for unity, healing? And for forgiveness for barking at sweet, kind, caring Marie Flowers, who also reflexively took a knee with me. 

Why such outrage at a peaceful action, which is a call to stop the very real violence and carnage in our country? What will you/we do to lift someone else up that you/we know has been wrongly treated. Let us not just pledge with words, but truly reach out to create healing, unity, liberty and justice for all.

Heidi Dhivya Berthoud

Secretary Friends of Buckingham

Buckingham