At least 19 states have towns and associations that ban clotheslines, ostensibly for aesthetic reasons. They are considered unsightly. Clotheslines are beautiful to me, family works of art. They save money, help the environment, prolong the life of clothes. Even Vermont banned clotheslines until recently, and many of these odd bans have been overturned.

We put our clothesline in a year or so ago, and the clothes feel cleaner and fresher, they don’t stretch or shrink, we save water and laundry detergent and the clothes themselves. Beyond that, they are evocative and beautiful symbols to me. My undershirts were out on today, pennants and flags in support of my life.