Colin Kaepernick’s reasoning for sitting out national anthem

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick explains his reasoning for sitting out the national anthem before the team’s preseason game on Friday night.

Colin Kaepernick decided he would not stand for the national anthem before the 49ers game on Friday night. His boycott of the national anthem will surely be dissected with people thinking he’s not being a patriot. While others will say it is well within his rights as an American.

His decision to sit out the anthem stems from Kaepernick’s belief that African-American and minorities in this country are treated unfairly.

“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses Black people and people of color,” Kaepernick told Steve Wyche of NFL Media . “To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”

Following the game, the 49ers released a statement saying the national anthem is a special part of the pre-game ceremony and a way to honor the country and that it’s Kaepernick’s right to decide not to participate.

Kaepernick is fully aware of the controversy this will cause and the spotlight will shine brighter on the former quarterback who led the team to a Super Bowl a few years ago.

“This is not something that I am going to run by anybody,” he said. “I am not looking for approval. I have to stand up for people that are oppressed. … If they take football away, my endorsements from me, I know that I stood up for what is right.”

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Kaepernick should be commended for standing up for something he believes so strongly in. Whether this was the best way for him to deliver his message and enact social change is debatable. However, as Kaepernick fights for his football life, he has the welfare of other’s lives on his mind.