1) A refresher course may be warranted to avoid the embarrassment of having others misinterpret a knee gesture.
2) “Bend the knee” or “take the knee,” may create an emotional hail storm because one person will look at the act as a display of protest to call attention to social deprivation issues while another will look at the identical act as an acknowledgement of respect, dignity, faith, devotion, humility or supplication toward god.
3) Two simple physical gestures may stimulate diametrically opposed emotions in today’s hypersensitive environment of which and the Media will jump all over and support which ever view is in their best interest. Of course, their programming is about increasing viewership, sensationalism, or some form of radicalism.
4) Some people may become irritated about any action taken or any display of emotion which reflects a value system inconsistent with their own frame of reference. Theirs, of course, is the only true and correct one. Everyone else should be forced to adapt to their values and beliefs.
I am sure that most of us have attempted a conversation with a narrowly focused, ideologically driven person. Two things come to mind. One is the term irrational and the other is raising of your own blood pressure out of dismay and disgust.
5) In today’s hypersensitive environment some people get out of bed offended, spend all day looking for a way to get more offended, and go home and go to bed offended. It is virtually impossible not to offend these people. Having a phone conversation or on-line conversation will result in becoming both perplexed and repulsed. Repulsiveness results in high blood pressure and anguish. Alcohol is the only remedy. Attempting to having a rational phone conversation of substance will be viewed as offensive. Yes, if you are willing to waste your time you are guaranteed to be wrong.
6) “Take the knee”- Lowering your body and displaying a one knee vertical position may be an acknowledgement of anguish and protest for a social cause such as black lives matter. This identical physical gesture may also be a display of respect and reverence for another.
- In the rules of a football game taking a knee by a quarterback during the game is a signal by a player after receiving the ball as a fair catch, which will temporally stop the game. A quarterback may take a knee on consecutive plays to waste 40 seconds each time to allow the clock to run out. Stopping the clock is a strategic offensive and defensive weapon to stall for time when the action appears to advance the team’s agenda.
- In the military taking the knee is a tradition meaning a sign of respect for another, such as a fallen soldier, or simply taking a short rest while on a mission. In the Army, taking a knee means that you or your group may pause, take a breath, step back and assess the situation.
- In religious context taking a knee means kneeling in prayer to acknowledge one’s faith, respect, and relationship to a higher power, deity, god, or multiple gods, or for a fallen friend. Additionally, some parishioners may elect to take the knee as a custom or symbol of worship or devotion. It may be traditional or compulsory.
- Taking a knee can also become a symbol of rejection of alleged systematic racial discrimination in policing and law enforcement. It may also symbolize the rejection of alleged racial bias, segregation, or of substandard working conditions.
- Martin Luther King Jr. took a knee during a civil rights march in Selma, Ala. in 1965. King’s gesture was viewed as a prayer, kneeling on behalf of the rights of blacks during the movement in that period. King said that this gesture was taken from a drawing of a black enslaved man during the 1780’s, “Am I not a man and a brother,” depicting a man shackled and kneeling.
- Taking a knee has now become acceptable to demonstrate against alleged racial brutality or segregation. Thousands of people now demonstrate against the deaths of black men killed by police forces. Even police officers, other law enforcement agents, mayors, U.S. senators, and civic leaders are taking the knee as a symbol of solidarity with protestors.
- No one takes a knee for the 1000’s of young black people murdered by other black people. Gang violence and territorial protection rackets are considered acceptable because it does not sell advertising slots on mainstream news channels. Just study the statistics in Chicago and you will be appalled. Whose lives really matter is about money and power.
- Law enforcement leaders have even advised their forces to “take a knee” during Black Lives Matters protestors events and warned that there will be negative retribution if they refuse. This is hypocritical on the part of the administrative state and the police forces because many BLM demonstrations have descended into anarchy and violent attacks on police officers, private businesses, and government offices.
- The problem is that the symbol of solidarity with protestors has now gotten intertwined with the symbolism of overthrowing the Presidency of Donald Trump combined with replacing our capitalist system with socialism and communist.
- Almost all the money donated to the Black Lives Matters outreach goes for expenses and donations to the democrat party. Look up the webpage and follow to the donation section. You will find that you are required to agree to the terms of ActBlue’s terms and conditions. Go to the ActBlue’s website and review their donations. Almost 100% goes to the Democratic party and operatives. My next article will prove this.
- Having police officers and other public officials taking the knee during this national upheaval of the COVID crisis, economic distress of families and businesses, extremely high unemployment, and overly burdensome responses by government is troublesome, if not downright tyrannical. These events are being used as a disguised gesture by demonstrators, rioters, and looters to promote the rejection of capitalism and welcome its replacement with socialism and communism.
- Some professional sports players have and will continue taking the knee during ceremonious presentations such as the National Anthem. Their kneeling represents a protest of alleged unfair treatment of African Americans. Notice again that I said “alleged.” Other than micro isolated events systemic racism is minimal.
- Many participants view taking the knee as a form of disrespect of the U.S. flag and of the National Anthem, especially when most are standing out of respect.
- Colin Kaepernick is the most prominent professional athlete to display the take a knee position. He repeatedly “took the knee” during the National Anthem in support of what he refers to as a prayerful protest about the plight of black people in America during the National Anthem at major NFL football games. Colin Kaepernick stated, “I am not going to stand up and show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color.”
7) “Bend the knee”- Lowering your body to a one knee position historically refers to a display of subservience to another or a traditional gesture that goes back thousands of years.
- Through history people have been bending the knee as an act of respect and humility. People have been kneeling, genuflecting before kings, queens, popes, and other dignitaries for centuries.
- Wikipedia; Genuflectionis the act of bending a knee to the ground, as distinguished from kneeling which more strictly involves both knees. From early times, it has been a gesture of deep respect for a superior. Today, the gesture is common in many Christian practices.
- An eager potential husband may perform the tradition of bending his knee to ask his/her bride to take his/her hand in the bond and sacrament of marriage. This act to propose marriage or engagement is a long-standing tradition of our society and other societies around the world. This gesture symbolizes a wholehearted commitment to the woman, without reservation, and of himself to another, and surrenders himself to become a couple. This tradition of man (or woman) proposing on bended knee came from medieval knights bowing before their noblewomen.
- History of “Bending the knee” was also displayed in a poetic version of the lyrics “Ol’ Man River,” a Broadway show written by Oscar Hammerstein. The original poem was written in 1920 by Langston Hughes titled “The Negro Speaks of Rivers.” The words were modified by Hammerstein in 1926. The lyrics included “Let me go ‘way from de white man boss.” Grappling with racial questions the lyrics were modified as follows.
“Don’t look up, an’ don’t look down,
You don’ dast make, de white boss frown,
bend your knees, an’ bow your head,
An’ pull dat rope, Until You’ dead.”
This dramatization portrayed the white boss as a threat and an enemy, only it was written and modified to this form about 100 years after slavery was abolished.
- On December 6, 1865 the 13th amendment to abolish slavery in the United States was introduced and passed by Congress, the amendment was ratified into law on December 18th, 1865, and officially adopted as the 13th amendment of the US Constitution. Slavery was abolished in the United States and provided that “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime, whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction”
8) Getting down on two knees- “Get down on your knees as in get down on your knees and pray.” Yes, both knees may be preferable in order maintain tradition and not to have others misinterpret your intentions. Getting down on two knees is safer and less painful. Some may even prefer knee pads. Getting up is another question.
- Getting down on your knees appears in hundreds of books such as the bible, and songs from rock classics, country, folk, blues, spirituals, and hymns as well as others.
- My very favorite rock song lyrics includes “get down on my knees and pray” was sung by the English rock band, The Who in “Won’t Get Fooled Again.” It was written by Pete Townshend and released in June 1971. This incredible full eight-and-a-half-minute beauty is one of my personal 100 all-time favorites.
Be prepared to inject energy throughout your system as you listen to this mega classic, then you can get down on your knees and pray. Here is the YouTube source.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHhrZgojY1Q
“I’ll tip my hat to the new constitution
Take a bow for the new revolution
Smile and grin at the change all around
Pick up my guitar and play
Just like yesterday
Then I’ll get on my knees and pray
We don’t get fooled again
Don’t get fooled again
No, no!”
9) “A Time for Choosing” a speech delivered by Ronald Reagan on October 27, 1964 with note cards as references. The famous line about a commentator interpreting a conversation with Khrushchev in which he says an American would rather “live on his knees rather die on his feet.” This was about the US population agreeing to submit to communism.
“And what then—when Nikita Khrushchev has told his people he knows what our answer will be? He has told them that we’re retreating under the pressure of the Cold War, and someday when the time comes to deliver the final ultimatum, our surrender will be voluntary, because by that time we will have been weakened from within spiritually, morally, and economically. He believes this because from our side he’s heard voices pleading for “peace at any price” or “better Red than dead,” or as one commentator put it, he’d rather “live on his knees than die on his feet.” And therein lies the road to war, because those voices don’t speak for the rest of us.”
http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8_QuqquVAY
10) “Stooping” is another option. One must bend the body forward and downward while simultaneously bending the knees. This requires a degree of fitness to carry out with confidence without looking awkward or pitiful. Getting up is another question. One may appear somewhat spastic or unorthodox in their effort to get up depending upon age and fitness.
11) Stumbling down on all fours may be by accident when one cannot see straight or drinks too much to stand up straight. How about Fred Astaire’s dance scene in “Holiday Inn” when he showed up at the festive event drunk and famously danced with an unidentified partner, until he fell on all fours and passed out.
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/xwcgja
Hopefully, this performance is non-existent or rare proposition for most people. How about a desperate plea for forgiveness that may require all fours?
12) Caution for our elders: There may be physical pain when we attempt any one of the above exercises. I prefer standing or sitting in all cases so that there is no visual misinterpretation or physical pain to deal with. I feel perfectly comfortable looking unorthodox and out of place while I am standing or sitting. I also do not want younger people to scurry around to help me get up. Pity is a painful proposition. Any assistance would be embarrassing and a display of weakness.
13) This concludes my primer on the use of one or more knees in our current hypersensitivity laced society.
