As you’ve probaby heard elsewhere, Niners QB-who-might-not-even-be-the-starter Colin Kaepernick risked national pariah status Friday night when refusing to stand for the playing of “The Star Spangled Banner” before an all-important exhibition game against Green Bay. Recalling similar gestures by Mamoud Abdul-Rauf and Carlos Delgado, Kaepernick declared, “”I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color…there are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.” Since the person responsible for the above Instagram message apparently has no hesitation whatsoever about essentially burning a black man in effigy for all the world to see, let’s instead segue to The San Jose Mercury-News’ Marcus Thompson II, who asks,”Kaepernick’s actions left a wake of people who were so offended on behalf of service men and women, whom he allegedly disrespected…what are you doing for those veterans?”
I bet the nearly 39,000 vets who are homeless on a given night, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, would tell you to keep your stoic national anthem pose. By the way, 45 percent of those homeless veterans are African-American or Hispanic, disproportionate compared to their representation. Your symbolic gesture isn’t helping the 5.6 percent of veterans who served on active duty at some point since 2001 but can’t find a job now.
Kaepernick used his platform to stand up for a cause, knowing it would invite wrath. That dialogue should include examination of how he went about it and the effectiveness of his choice. It should also include why he felt it was necessary and what prompted him to do it.
let’s see a venn diagram w/ overlap between those insisting Colin Kaepernick no longer has NFL skills and those who’d like to see Tim Tebow get another shot. Or perhaps another for those who’d like Kaepernick to “stick to sports” with those believe Curt Schilling is a victim of “political correctness”.
Also — love the argument that because Kaepernick is no longer a starter let alone an elite player, he’s precluded from voicing a public opinion (or as Mariotti put it, he’s “irrelevant”). Seems like this alleged non-entity has generated a mountain of conversation about race, police brutality and what standing for the anthem may or may not represent. He’s managed to call out both major presidential candidates, something you’re probably not gonna see Aaron Rodgers or Tom Brady do anytime soon. And that’s ok, they’re not obliged to speak out. But it seems far more impressive to me that Kaepernick would choose this moment to make a stance precisely because he knows full well his job security is precarious and his deeds would prove (wildly) unpopular with fans, the league and fellow players.