The most common criticism of their protest was the fact that it was unpatriotic – an Iowa congressman even went so far as to say that it was sympathetic to ISIS – and that these men were being disrespectful to a country that had given them so much.
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If we are taking issue with football players straying from standard procedure during the anthem, should we not also take exception to the institutions in our country disregarding “American” standard procedures of equality and justice? After all, the U.S. Constitution guarantees him the right to free speech.
“In terms of this stance for the violence that’s happening all over the world – and to black males especially – I understand and I applaud his stance”. Though our nation and we, the people who make it up, are not ideal, I believe we should stand during the national anthem to honor everyone who during the past 240 years has worked to make the United States the greatest nation in history. To protest means that you are going to make waves; so if that is the case, and if that’s the definition of a protest, then the desired result of his mission is accomplished.
Sunday’s performance (which Fox Sports chose not to air) was strikingly similar in terms of the notes and the flourishes, with the main difference being that last time Kaepernick stood. The adoration seemed unanimous.
Now before I get railed on for being anti-American, against police officers and the military, hold your horses. He says “I truly respect our players wanting to speak out and change their community. It just blows my mind that somebody like [Kaepernick] would do what he does to dishonor the flag of this country and the national anthem when we have young men and women overseas fighting for this county, people that have died for this country”.
As I try to do in these circumstances, I stepped back and challenged my own beliefs and reasons for being mad at Kaepernick. “We support their right to protest, and if we were still playing today, we would be joining them”. Bethea on Sunday recorded an interception of Panthers quarterback Cam Newton on the second play of the game.
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Kaepernick began sitting to call attention to police brutality and the social injustices he perceives are happening to people of color.
