San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick is exercising his right to protest, and he’s getting slammed for it.
There are always going to be bigots in the world. Always. It doesn’t matter if the year is 1816 or 2016, some folks will never understand that the only difference between white people and black people is the amount of pigment in their skin. It’s a proven fact, and yet so few truly believe it.
On Friday, Kaepernick didn’t rise for the national anthem. After the game, he explained his stance, citing the oppression of African Americans in the United States. Kaepernick continued to say he would not stand in future games, continuing his protest.
The controversial action has since set America ablaze. People on one side of the proverbial aisle are irate, claiming Kaepernick is an arrogant punk. They scream about his $19 million salary and pontificate about his upbringing with a white family following his adoption. They claim Kaepernick’s life was easy, as though they know a damn thing about him.
Kaepernick grew up looking completely different than the rest of his family, all while knowing his biological parents had no use for him. Other than that, the youngster was on Easy Street.
If you are offended by Kaepernick’s actions, you have every right to be. Many millions have served in the country’s military to protect your rights. So many have also died to protect Kaepernick’s.
The notion that America can’t stand divided is lunacy. It has always done so. Whether it be the Civil War or civil rights, the United States has often been anything but united. Kaepernick is exposing those long-standing divisions, hoping to see a fractured country come closer together, even if only a few millimeters at a time.
Expensive and ineffective, Kaepernick might have lost his job in San Francisco this offseason regardless of his political views. Now, he becomes even more vulnerable. If released, he won’t see anything close to his current salary. Kaepernick is taking a bold risk and not hiding from the innumerable arrows coming his way. For that, regardless of your opinion of him, he deserves respect.
The debate will rage on in regards to race, respect and what America truly represents. For that, Kaepernick can rest easy, knowing he has stoked the flames of progress.