The latest to stand with beseigned San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick in his protest against racism in the U.S.is Seattle Reign soccer star Megan Rapinoe, who was spotted kneeling during the national anthem before a Sunday match.
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Lane then sat during the Seahawks-Raiders game Thursday.
Lane said he doesn’t plan to expand his actions in any way.
Kaepernick has chosen to sit during the national anthem at all of the preseason games as a sign of silent protest against police brutality and racial inequality.
The 49er is far from the first athlete to take a sports game as an opportunity for quiet protest.
“Just like in 1968, it wasn’t Kaepernick’s message that drew so much reaction; it was his method for dissemination”, wrote Professor Blackistone in a column last Sunday.
While Kaepernick and 49ers teammate Eric Reid amended their protest to taking a knee instead of remaining seated for the anthem, Lane said he intends to keep sitting. Lane said he didn’t know if he would follow suit. “And I think it’s all right”. I don’t want to put any pressure on anyone. “I’m trying to listen to what you’re saying and why you’re doing it”. “We’re all individuals, we have a right to do what we feel”. Our team has been working on it, and we are in the process of communicating about a lot of stuff right now. “We’ll find out how that works out with no goal in mind really at this point”. I look forward to continuing with our guys. “We don’t need to be the leading voice. but standing in support of them is something that’s really powerful”.
Carroll’s message to his player?
I stand for those who were forced to give their lives building the country that confined them to the tobacco fields and indigo plantations.
Lane he said has no similar plans at the moment.
He added he hasn’t heard directly from fans, at all.
While his answers were brief on Monday, teammate Michael Bennett was more expansive when asked about Lane’s decision.
“It’s his right to be able to protest, and I think it’s alright”, Bennett said. She won a Gold medal in the 2012 London Olympics, and was part of the victorious United States team that won the 2015 women’s World Cup. At the end of the day, we’ll be football players for 12 years or 10 years or whatever it is, but. we’re still minorities and Black men in America. LGBT people are white, African American, Jewish, gentile, Asian, Native American and atheist, you get the idea.
“It’s important to have white people stand in support of people of colour on this”.
The 26-year-old Lane is from Tyler, Texas and attended Northwestern (La.) State.
Kaepernick announced last week his intent to give $1 million of his 2016 football earnings to charities dedicated to the issues he is spotlighting.
By using a simple gesture to make a major statement, both of these high-profile athletes are using their platforms to encourage conversation about issues that face the Americans that they, in many ways, represent.
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“No, I haven’t thought about that”, he said.
