(CNN)Colin Kaepernick sparked a media firestorm on August 26 when he refused to stand for the national anthem before a preseason game against the Green Bay Packers.
The San Francisco 49ers quarterback explained in an interview, "I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. 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."
I immediately applauded Kaepernick for using the art of protest to spark a national dialogue. People are dying. We are in the eye of a cultural crisis in America.
Although Kaepernick is a person of color and has experienced prejudice, he sits in a space economic privilege -- a man who signed a multimillion dollar contract in 2014. Yes, he is entitled to his opinion, as am I. But is he seriously claiming Trump and Clinton are the same? Trump has said things that I"ve never heard from a Republican nominee in my lifetime. This is not a standard election. The safety and morale of our country is at stake.
It takes time to grow into activism. There is space for him to evolve and learn. His intentions were clearly genuine. While Kaepernick sitting during the national anthem was profound, his words about the Democratic nominee were disappointing and, quite frankly, misguided.
Colin, your voice is needed. Please don"t encourage anyone to bench their vote. We cannot let Trump become president. This is not the football field. This is not a game. You are blessed to live in a world where your livelihood is protected, but for the rest of us, we can"t endure a President Trump.
Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/30/opinions/where-kaepernick-lost-me-cane/index.html
No comments:
Post a Comment