The letter also cited a photo of Kaepernick at practice wearing socks that depicted police as pigs. It became apparent Kaepernick would make the roster after his second preseason appearance in the finale against San Diego on Thursday, when he improved drastically from his debut against the Packers. Like Obama, Kaepernick is defying white society and turning his back on the white parents who raised him, in hopes of being accepted by black militants. He is speaking for Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, Freddie Gray and the countless other black and brown folks who are killed by the police every year.
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He’s no longer alone, either.
Kaepernick has been at the center of a renewed USA debate about nationalism, racism, and police brutality since he first refused to stand for the national anthem during a preseason game last week.
The flag and anthem hold so much meaning for many men and women in uniform and others who have defended the country that the style of Kaepernick’s protest may make it hard for them to “hear what his deeper concerns are”, Obama said. Analysis: Time to see what the 49ers got with their top picks from the past two drafts, Armstead and Buckner, 6-foot-7 towers out of Oregon.
The matchup is similar to last year’s opener when the 49ers hosted – and beat – the then lightly regarded Minnesota Vikings, 20-3.
“His actions continue to embarrass all professional sports and bring reproach on his team”, the petition reads.
Support for the quarterback has been steady if slightly more muted.
And while there has been considerable concern that Kaepernick may have jeopardized his career with his bold stance, he seems to have at least cleared the first hurdle; the 49ers made their final cuts and Kaepernick was not among them, although head coach Chip Kelly announced that Blaine Gabbert will be the starting quarterback. He chose to take on a much greater cause than football with his professional future in doubt, fully aware that it might affect his chances of staying with the team or, should he be cut, catching on with someone else.
That statement oozes political correctness, but what are the 49ers to do, cut him?
“What makes an act truly patriotic and not just lip-service is when it involves personal risk or sacrifice”, basketball Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar wrote this week in The Washington Post.
Adding to that was the fact that 49ers would be on the hook for his $14.5 million base salary in 2017 if Kaepernick gets hurt this season and is not fully recovered by April 1.
But his future earnings could surely take a hit.
Edwards was one of the people Kaepernick talked to both before and after his decision not to stand during the national anthem. I’m extremely satisfied that Kaepernick is using his social platform to do something different, and I think it’s time more players joined him. “Failure to fix this problem is what’s really un-American here”.
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If Gabbert is excited about the opportunity, Kelly said he didn’t show it Saturday upon getting the good news about the start.
