Kaepernick reiterated that police brutality is the impetus of his stand.
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One 49ers fan we spoke to did not like Kapernick’s reasoning.
Tara Sullivan of The Record tweeted out a photo of the players before the game perfectly lined up during the national anthem.
Coach Chip Kelly said Saturday he still hasn’t decided on his starting quarterback in a competition between Kaepernick and Blaine Gabbert.
He said he made the decision to sit out the national anthem because he wanted to bring awareness to things going on in the country he feels are unjust, and because he feels the values the American flag is supposed to stand for are not being realized.
Kaepernick has drawn a mix of criticism and praise since it was noticed that the backup quarterback did not stand during the national anthem Thursday night during an NFL preseason game against the Green Bay Packers.
I think you go up there, you’re with a team, and you go and you know you pledge your allegiance to the flag and sing the national anthem with your team, and then you go about your business, whatever your beliefs are. “Whether I agree with what he did or not, that’s not something I would do, but he did it”.
Whatever the consequences, Kaepernick insists he will know “I did what’s right”.
CK: You have Hillary who has called black teens or black kids super predators, you have Donald Trump who’s openly racist.
“I’ve seen circumstances where men and women that have been in the military have come back and been treated unjustly by the country they fought have for, and have been murdered by the country they fought for, on our land”. Added Kaepernick: “These aren’t new situations, this isn’t new ground”.
Both Bowman and Smith are African American. It’s things that have gone on in this country for years and years and have never been addressed, and need to be.”Kaepernick insisted that he means no disrespect toward the US military, with whom many teammates say they think of when the American flag is unfurled before games”.
“It’s hard for me, because my brother was a Marine, and he lost a lot of friends over there”, Boone told USA TODAY Sports.
“We recognize his rights as a citizen to express his views”.
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The NFL went more to the point: “Players are encouraged but not required to stand during the playing of the National Anthem”. So, I think if I had known that, my emotions would’ve been rolling – I think we would’ve had a problem on the sideline.
