About a minute in, he climbed down to a lower level, knelt in front of the crowd, and stopped singing while he bowed his head for a few measures. Why did I listen to Colin Kaepernick?
Advertisement
New England Patriots defensive lineman Chris Long stated Tuesday he supports the public stance of Colin Kaepernick and other members of the NFL community who have chose to protest the national anthem to take a stand against racial injustice.
The San Francisco 49ers quarterback has recently adopted the habit of sitting during the National Anthem at games, instead of standing up with his hand on his heart as is customary.
Others argue that Kaepernick is being paid millions to play a sport he loves and most can only dream to be in the position he’s in. Kid Rock made it pretty clear which camp he falls into on Friday.
His actions have inspired other players and teams. Meanwhile, Alex Boone, one of Kaepernick’s former teammates, ripped him saying: “I understand it”.
For those who hate the way he is protesting, I will simply say this: if you do not care about African-American people being killed by police officers then don’t be overly critical of the people who do care.
The protest has angered some fans, who see it as disrespectful to the nation while others see it as a welcome high-profile boost to the Black Lives Matter movement. “In respecting such American principles as freedom of religion and freedom of expression, we recognize the right of an individual to choose and participate, or not, in our celebration of the National Anthem”. But countries, like people, make mistakes.
That united voice, continued Brown, could continue to resonate long after Kaepernick, Kelly or York possibly move on. It is important to note that some military veterans have said they support Kaepernick. However, during the national anthem at the Miami Dolphins game, something was different: Four players chose to kneel.
Sometimes we need protesters to point out what is wrong with the country and where we should improve.
Advertisement
I hope the protests will get people talking and listening to one another about the hard problems of race and fairness, and, more important, working together to find solutions.
