Speaking in China after a gathering of leaders of 20 leading economies, Mr Obama said he had no doubt about Kaepernick’s sincerity but acknowledged that the protest was hard for some members of the military and law enforcement to swallow.
Advertisement
Kaepernick has named police brutality and racial injustice among the reasons for his silent protest and indicated that he will keep it up during the regular season that begins September 12 with a game against the Los Angeles Rams.
“In terms of Mr. Kaepernick, I’ve got to confess that I haven’t been thinking about football while I’ve been over here and I haven’t been following this closely, but my understanding, at least, is that he’s exercising his Constitutional right to make a statement”, Obama said.
Seattle Seahawks cornerback Jeremy Lane told reporters Monday he would continue to sit for the anthem, saying, “I’m just going to continue doing what I’m doing”.
“That is a tough thing for them to get past, to then hear what his deeper concerns are”.
On the flips side, several other professional athletes are following the quarterback’s lead, the most recent being soccer player Megan Rapine who kneeled as the national anthem during a game Sunday (Sept. 4).
Though Kaepernick, whose gear was also popular when he led the Niners to Super Bowl XLVII at the conclusion of the 2012 season, lost the training camp battle to reclaim his starting job – he’s now behind Blaine Gabbert – it’s not surprising his jersey sales have skyrocketed.
“Sometimes it’s messy, but it’s the way democracy works”.
“I don’t know”, Lane said when asked whether more Seahawks will join him in protest.
Rapinoe said it was “something small” she could do in support of Kaepernick, and that she too hoped to spark a meaningful conversation. His actions have divided opinions, with many political figures expressing their views on the 28-year-old football player’s actions.
“We don’t need to be the leading voice, of course, but standing in support of them is something that’s really powerful”.
Advertisement
The support for Kaepernick has grown beyond the NFL.
