In the interview, which aired on Thursday morning, Belafonte applauded the San Francisco 49ers quarterback and said the criticism reflects a deep-rooted “statement about America”.
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As first revealed by Eye on Football, Kaepernick was wearing a pair of socks that portrayed cops as pigs during that practice. The quarterback refused to stand during the playing of the national anthem at a televised game last week.
“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses people of color”, Kaepernick said.
Kaepernick in those socks will likely not please the San Francisco Police Officers Association, which sent a letter to the NFL on Monday denouncing Kaepernick’s decision to sit for the national anthem. “So that’s something that this country has to change”, Kaepernick said in an interview. Kaepernick wore the socks again on August 12.
Kaepernick has worn his “practice socks” – which feature cartoon pigs wearing police hats – at practices over the last few weeks. People aren’t being held accountable.
Kaepernick and Reid dropped to one knee while a naval officer sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” and dozens of military members unfurled an oversized flag at the Chargers’ Qualcomm Stadium. Where Mr. Kaepernick went wrong was claiming that, despite his refusal to stand for the anthem, he still had great respect for the men and women serving in our armed forces.
The 49ers play their final preseason game in San Diego against the Chargers Thursday. Prior to the game, 240 people serving in various branches of the Armed Forces are scheduled to present the Colors. Make those standards higher.
Kaepernick said he had invited teammates to sit with him during the anthem, but didn’t expect any to join him.
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Do you think too much attention is being paid to the messenger and the way he chose to convey his message, as opposed to the message itself? Veterans who support Kap took to Twitter and sent a hashtag viral. It’s every citizen’s right, earned by their forefathers, to criticize the United States government.
