Colin Kaepernick took a knee during the national anthem before Thursday’s preseason NFL game and pledged to continue his protest over police brutality and racism in the US.
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Citing Kaepernick’s “inappropriate behavior”, the police union in Santa Clara, California, said that the “harmonious working relationship” between officers and the American football team had been threatened, and that they would only police Levi’s Stadium if Kaepernick was disciplined.
Kaepernick once again did not stand during the national anthem on Thursday, choosing to kneel before the team’s game against the San Diego Chargers.
Once we get to the regular season, look for more and more players to follow Kaepernick’s lead even if he’s only there in spirit.
Although Kaepernick seems to have the support from his teammates in the 49ers locker room and some others in the National Football League – such as Jeremy Lane of the Seattle Seahawks (who also sat this week against the Raiders during the Anthem) – not everyone in the National Football League seems to be in his corner.
Colin Kaepernick survived San Francisco’s roster cuts on Saturday when the 49ers determined that his ability as a quarterback more than offset any potential distraction over his refusal to stand during the national anthem. So with that being said, I personally find it dubious to make the claim his actions are disrespectful to those in uniform, but there is a larger issue at play here that is, sadly, being overlooked: his freedom. “I would have loved that even more”.
While Santa Clara’s top cop called Kaepernick’s comments “hurtful” and “distasteful”, he also made it clear the 49ers QB has every right to his views.
As training camp opened, Kelly wanted to let both players get equal reps with the first team and they did for a handful of practices before Kaepernick’s right shoulder could no longer bear the burden of throwing between 86 and 102 passes per practice.
But he’s been backed by other members of the public, including a group of military veterans who call themselves #VeteransForKaepernick, and by prominent athletes such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Jim Brown. This expression caught the attention of the media.
Like many, he is a huge supporter of Black Lives Matter, originating in the African-American community as a campaigns against what it says is a pattern of violence and systemic racism toward black people – particularly targeting a series of controversial shootings of black citizens by police officers.
Santa Clara has about 150 officers in its police force, Moreno said. A police officer shoots a woman by accident to promote safety, and he doesn’t check his gun? Change is only possible with a collective willingness to understand contrary views and listen to the “why, ‘ rather than the ‘who, ‘ ‘what” or ‘where’. His blanket statements disparaging the law enforcement profession are hurtful and do not help bring the country together. It is apparent, that the 49ers organization is aware of Mr. Kaepernick’s actions.
About 120 police officers work overtime shifts paid by the 49ers during game days, said Lt. Dan Moreno, a Santa Clara police spokesman.
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Truthfully I have my own concerns about Kaepernick’s method of protest. “And one of the myriads that’s true is the right to burn the flag, to sit for that anthem, to talk kindly or with great rage about police brutality, to disagree on politics, or have to tolerate free speech that makes our skin crawl”.
