“I fought that to say that don’t tell us that we’re not good enough to room with a Caucasian player”, Brown said.
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Brees wasn’t the first person associated with football who felt the need to weigh in on Kaepernick’s decision.
The goal of the First Amendment is to give people the opportunity to discuss and disagree with actions, policies and the current state of the U.S. Calling these people, including Kaepernick, un-American and a “P.O.S.” on Facebook isn’t only rude and obnoxious, it makes no sense.
Kaepernick has sat rather than stand with his 49ers teammates during the national anthem in their exhibition games, and he plans to continue doing so to bring attention to racial injustice and other social concerns.
Later, after leaving the podium, Harbaugh amended his statement – saying he supported Kaepernick’s motivation for sitting.
MORE: Why are we so quick to want to punish Kaepernick? . “For so many years, we had the great Michael Jordan that stated that Republicans buy sneakers too so I’m not going to rock the boat, I’m going to make this money. I don’t think you can not deny someone the right to speak out or mock or make fun or belittle anybody else’s opinion”. But he also understands the trials and tribulations that he goes through as an African-American male in this country. “And not only do you have to deal with that but your family has deal with it, your kids have to deal with it”.
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Invoking Voltaire, Harbaugh said: “I may not agree with what you say, but I’ll defend until death your right to say it”. Acknowledge that there were people getting hosed down in the street and dogs getting sicced on them for standing for what they believed in, and that’s unfortunate. “You have the freedom of speech, until your opinion doesn’t fit in with the American model”. Like it’s an oxymoron that you’re sitting down, disrespecting that flag that has given you the freedom to speak out.
