Sometimes I’m still surprised that gossip stories can still surprise me. The Colin Kaepernick story is both appealingly simple, from a gossip standpoint, and incredibly complicated, from a standpoint of America’s difficult racial history. On Friday, Kaepernick, the 49ers’ quarterback, decided to remain seated for the national anthem. When reporters noticed, Kaepernick issued a statement, saying that his choice was about the systemic oppression and violence against African-Americans and people of color.
While the NFL and the 49ers didn’t sound happy about Kaepernick’s choice, they didn’t push the issue. That didn’t stop everyone on the internet from having an opinion about it. That’s what surprised me, and it should not have surprised me: standing for the anthem is one of those “issues” with which everyone has an opinion. Even sports journalists and regular columnists got into the action, because “standing for the anthem” is just the kind of bulls—t hot-button issue everyone can exploit… instead of actually listening to what Kaepernick is saying. He gave another interview on Sunday, confirming that he’s actually sat down for the anthem for three preseason games, and he’s going to keep sitting down until change happens:
“I’ll continue to sit. I’m gonna continue to stand with the people that are being oppressed,” Kaepernick said Sunday. “To me, this is something that has to change. When there’s significant change and I feel like that flag represents what it’s supposed to represent and this country is representing people the way that it’s supposed to, I’ll stand.”
“There’s people being murdered unjustly and [people are] not being held accountable. Cops are getting paid leave for killing people. That’s not right. That’s not right by anyone’s standards.”
“This is not something that I am going to run by anybody. 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. This country stands for freedom, liberty, justice for all – and it’s not happening for all right now.”
“If they take football away, my endorsements from me – I know that I stood up for what is right.” Well, we’ll see. Right now, his employers are shrugging, but I bet he does lose some endorsements. As for the political blowback, Donald Trump said words. He has the best words, you know. Trump says the best words, because Trump is the best at wording. Trump said: “I have followed it and I think it’s personally not a good thing. I think it’s a terrible thing, and you know, maybe he should find a country that works better for him, let him try, it’s not gonna happen.” Dear Cheeto Mussolini: YOU should find a country that works better for you.
And here’s what the White House had to say:
.@PressSec: Kaepernick's views "objectionable" but "surely we all acknowledge and even defend" right to express them https://t.co/BoEHoadNG5
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) August 29, 2016
Photos courtesy of Getty, WENN.
I get why the NFL did not push for him to stand. It would have shined a light on their discriminatory practices. . I think K has a right to express himself whether or not you agree with him. Less not forget, the original third verse of the anthem was very approving of slavery somewhat laudatory. Lots of comments online suggest that K has no right to protest because he is basically a house negro.
I don’t think Americans have ever sung the third verse? I just read it and don’t quite get it as I read it in haste and would have to study it. I am curious about it and wish to learn more but I must say it is important to put it in perspective according to the date and time of history. It seems you are digging really deep to find “racism” and maybe you should just love yourself!
-I think it starts there
@ Olivia she is digging deep?! That’s the song. Shelly did not write it. Does it matter that we don’t sing the third verse. The song is what it is, and it is indicative of what America was built on war and slavery. “Loving yourself” how condescending. Please understand that loving yourself also includes standing up for what you believe in.
Lol, digging deep
“The third verse contains lyrics pertaining to slavery”
This is exactly why Colin and so many others don’t have the gushing feelings about this country or this flag that so many ‘Patriots’ expect us too.
Because it takes a mass slaughter to finally remove a flag that stood in support of slavery and the anthem’s slavery lyrics are a-okay if we just don’t sing that part. Please. Ignorance is bliss.
@olivia comment
**typical white or (ignorant POC) colorblindness and diregard**
ugh
The guy owned slaves, so yes, I would say it’s laudatory.
Some people have very short memory and try to present this guy as if he is some freedom fighter for black people. Well, he is not. In September of 2015 this guy was fined $11,000 for using a racial slur (directed towards black people). He is a nasty piece of work; he has a different agenda. It is all about himself and his newly found religion. Please do not make him a hero.
Yes, because a black man referring to another black man as a n-word means anything he ever says or does for the rest of his life is no longer valid! Your reasonings make no sense and I’m having a hard time trying to figure out your point….if there is one. Seems more like deflection of what the real issues Colin is speaking on but who cares about that cause he said the N word! Newsflash…black people can use that word freely!
MellyMel, there is no Reply button under your comment. My point is that people overlook real reasons behind his stance against America. Kaepernick is bi-racial by birth, but grew up in a white family. His birth mother was white and his black father was never present in his life. He was adopted by white family, and did not grow up living in projects. He did not just use N word, he said F…ing N. F…ing N? As if he does not consider himself belonging to the same group of people. It is derogatory, and please stop using an excuse that other black people have a right to use these words. His newly found disrespect and some even may say hatred towards America happened very recently, and it has nothing to do with black lives, but it does have to do with people of color. I just wish he would be open about the reason behind his stance. And I think it is OK to not stand up and show that you are displeased, but do not try to hide under the umbrella of “black lives matter”.
For the record I am black southern woman so you do not need to explain to me how derogatory the N word is. I’ve had it said to my face and ppl I care about so I don’t need a lesson. And that was NOT an excuse…it’s a fact. He was fined for using THAT word. Period. As for him being adopted and raised by a white family…again I know this. It doesn’t matter where he grew up or who raised him, he’s still a black man. You think only black ppl who grow up in the hood use the N word?? I didn’t grow up in a bad neighborhood and refuse to use that word but the reality is black ppl say it to each other. As far as this being some new thing…he’s being speaking out about black lives matter issues for some time. I’m a fan of his and he’s been saying things for a year and a half now. I’m sorry you don’t believe he’s protesting from a genuine place. But if that’s what’s really bothering you I don’t know what else to say.
Edit* Since when is black ppl & POC not the same thing???
Except @Fleur that fine was rescinded because there was no proof that he said anything and he denied saying anything.
http://www.foxsports.com/nfl/story/colin-kaepernick-s-11k-fine-reduced-49ers-bears-slur-appeal-101514
@Fleur
Stance against America? Hatred towards America? Because he sat through an anthem, really?
“I am not looking for approval”
In an age where people prefer affirmation over information that’s quite refreshing.
I agree. I don’t know where I fall on his choice to not stand. But I can respect that he understands actions (or lack of actions) have consequences and he’s prepared for the ones that may fall his way.
I agree Soror Bro. This man has a commitment to his beliefs.
This is a free speech issue. This man has a RIGHT to do this! I’m so tired of differences of opinion turning into “hurt feelings” of all the special snowflakes policing people over what THEY think is right. Yeah, I’m also looking at you, Kim Davis.
“Don’t like” does NOT equal “wrong”.
Hmmmph.
I say good for him I agree with everything he’s saying here and I hope he doesn’t lose any endorsements. I never really cared much for him before this incident but I have a newfound level of respect for him now honestly.
This Is a peaceful protest he has every right to do and I can understand why he feels compelled to do it. You go man.
I thought he was hot after the SI issue where he got all nekkid because damn that body and yes to the tats.
Now I think he’s super hot because he has a brain and he’s acting on his morals, even when it isn’t comfortable.
What these idiots don’t understand is the military fights for his right to do this very thing. If they don’t like it maybe they shouldn’t scream words about fascism in the next breath. People who detract from what he’s doing are the same idiots that were probably applauding the Oregon idiors taking over federal land which is illegal last I checked.
As for the players and the NFL having a problem…maybe start with the DV issues and rapists in your ranks before you say anything.
I stopped standing for the pledge in middle school after my teacher had a lesson about it and challenged why we stood for the pledge everyday. Plus the original anthem was racist as hell so yea I’m not about it
“As for the players and the NFL having a problem…maybe start with the DV issues and rapists in your ranks before you say anything. ”
And enough with the Pink Ribbon Campaign 1month out of the year to claim “Good Guy” status with the ladies.
“What these idiots don’t understand is the military fights for his right to do this very thing”
The US military is an extension of the US empire. It doesn’t fight for our rights. It fights for the control of the world, for the empire.
It is so depressing that so many people don’t see it and continue signing up with the military. It destroys so many lives.
Until it is acceptable to criticize the military nothing will change. This putting of the military on a pedestal is a very totalitarian thing.
This putting of the military on a pedestal is a very totalitarian thing.
Yes.
When you put it like that Donald Trump the presidential candidate doesn’t seem so surprising.
I agree completely.
Also–ironically–the people who are saying that it’s naïve to assume that Colin is doing this to further a cause are the same people who cling to this fallacy that every person who joins the military has altruistic and noble reasons for enlisting.
Not every soldier is a hero, or even a good person. Not to mention the military as an institution has its own sordid history with its treatment of women and the LGBTQ community. But yeah let’s all yell at the football player for sitting during the anthem.
*eye roll*
I know, it often bothers me how saying “I served” seems to be the ultimate argument in any discussion.
Thank you Sasha.
HONY was sharing stories of veterans in the last couple of weeks and it almost made me quit HONY. Not because of the veteran stories, but how people reacted to each other over them. There was absolutely NO critisicm allowed.
“Thank you for protecting our country” (which was and isn’t endangered)
“He was fighting for your right of free speech” (again, that was never endangered)
…
People couldn’t wrap their heads around the fact, that others criticized the war and not so much the veterans. And criticizing the war also does not make you un-American.
Americans have a very unique way of dealing with military, their flag, the national anthem and “how to be a REAL American”, don’t day? It feels like it is one of the special snowflake kids in school: don’t you dare to ever critize this kid! Who cares that it is bullying others on the playground – they MIGHT have said or done something too. Who cares it can’t follow in class – it is highly intelligent and the teacher just doesn’t know how to teach. Who cares that it has no talent at all – it will get the leading part in the school production of Hamilton, because it want’s to have it.
Maybe if he was born in a different country, it would have worked better for him, just saying.
Anyway, I think what he’s doing is admirable. Especially considering he’s not at a high point in his career so he’s not untouchable the way some sport stars are.
I still don’t understand why this is so connected to the military, or why the military is such a sacred cow, especially considering you didn’t have a war on your soil for a very long time. But again, I’m not American.
It’s not just the military, there are those who find disrespecting the flag in very poor taste. Surely that has some international parallels.
I actually don’t know. God knows my country is very patriotic ( sometimes even nationalistic, sadly), and considering our recent history and the fact that expressing national pride has been possible only in the last 20 years, I don’t know how people would react. Apart from national games, the anthem isn’t played at league games, so that also factors in.
However, there definitely isn’t such reverance for the military here. Mainly because the military is very small. But then there’s a whole other issue with the veterans from the war of independence. There are a lot of mixed feelings about them. After the war, those who were deemed uncapable to work were retired and given a pension. But, quite a lot of people managed to fake their papers so there are a lot of people who are getting a pension without actually deserving it, the register of veterans was never made public, and combined with the economical situation we’re in now, there are feelings of pride, gratitude, but also resentment towards the whole veteran/military issue. And especially towards politicians who use it for their popularity.
So I really don’t know what would happen if someone did that here. But I also have to say we don’t have such severe issuees of mistreating our own citizens the way the US has.
@Betsy, not really, no. Flags are usually displayed on national occasions, 2-3 times a year tops. Those events usually do not involve professional sporting events, but rather people who are paid to perform (so, we expect that, since they signed up to perform at this event, they are able to show respect to the country and the flag) or who choose to attend the event (and, therefore, probably want to show respect to the country and the flag). I can think of very few situations in my home country where people are their to do their job, but their job is not respecting the flag and the occasion. So, I think that for many foreigners, it is hard to understand this level of attachment to the flag.
I do think that between reciting the pledge of allegiance every day and saluting the flag at ball games every week, it does begin to sound a bit like brainwashing. Angry backlash only confirms that opinion.
And I come from a formerly totalitarian country.
It’s all BS. I served in the US navy and was also a military spouse for years. As far as I’m concerned, it earned me the right to do whatever I want when the anthem is playing.
The representation of any military is the flag that they carry into battle. Even in a fantasy show like Game of Thrones, each small military faction has it’s own banner, it’s own flag. The Star Spangled Banner is a song written about the flag standing during wartime. That as long as the flag stands, we stand as a country. It’s not necessarily the same sort of anthem that other countries have. Ours is specifically written about our flag standing in time of war. It has a very strong tie to the military. It was not created to be a symbol of a monarchy or a dictator.
Everyone here is usually so cynical, but not when it comes to this topic, I see.
His stats have been on a dramatic decline, and this seems like an excellent way for him to pivot the conversation away from his football skills. Puts the team in a bad position because if they bench him, it looks like they’re doing it because they’re mad about him not standing. So, they’re probably more inclined to play him, rather than look insensitive. Also, if he gets benched, you know he is going to go in hard saying that is why, as opposed to the fact his 2015 stats were half what his 2014 stats were and 1/3 of his best season, 2013.
Both he and the 49ers better hope there is an uptick for him in 2016, or it could get awkward…
So sure, he believes what he is saying, but he also knows all of the above and the optics of benching him, despite declining performance and is trying to save his job.
That is cynical, lol. I don’t know if this is a calculated pivot but it really doesn’t seem like the kind of move that could actually save his job if that’s what he’s indeed trying to accomplish.
I was trying to represent the cynical viewpoint since everyone seems to be of the belief his intentions are completely pure and noble, when other celebrities on this site don’t seem to get that same pass.
I think he is thinking about what I wrote above, and is putting himself in position to be a victim if he gets benched for performance reasons. At this point, everyone will assume it is because of his politics. He won’t even have to say anything at all, and there will be people screaming at the 49ers that he was benched for sitting during the national anthem and racism, etc. If you guys don’t think sports agents and publicists aren’t every bit as crafty as normal agents and publicists…
I don’t think it will save his job, necessarily, but but it could get him a job elsewhere, or pivot his job into sportscaster/political role once his athletic role ends. I think he is doing this for attention, and to make sure his name stays on everyone’s lips.
That uptick died along time ago – when the Dorks (ahem Yorks) fired Jim Harbaugh because they were too cheap to give him a raise. Harbaugh was really Kap’s champion and he was the one who essentially trained him during Kap’s relatively productive years. Once Harbaugh left, Kap basically has been on a decline.
Yes there’s a possibility that he’s doing this to save his job but I doubt it. The Dorks don’t care about public opinion and loyalty. If they did Harbaugh would still be a 9er today.
Yes I’m an embittered 9er fan.
My thoughts too. I think he does have strong feelings on the matter but I also believe he knew he was mostly on his way to the bench.
@Maude,
I honestly don’t care why he does it. I just don’t understand why people get so upset. If your theory is right, then the backlash plays into his hands, and ignoring him would still be the right way to go.
We have a fun fantasy where we support the military, the flag and everything it stands for while our military members come back from war and struggle to find jobs, mental and physical health care and often end up homeless or turning to addiction or even more horrific suicide.
But damn the politician who doesn’t wear a flag pin!
It is political theater and it is is sad. We care more about the illusion of being patriotic than ACTUALLY being patriotic.
Some of us actually do wish we could as a nation care for veterans and families of deployed military rather than just merrily sending them off into harm’s way. But what do I know. I also wish national health care was at least an option.
@Betsy
Unfortunately, caring is not enough, it’s lip service. We need to put our money where our mouths are. And I don’t mean it as a dig at you, but all those people who “respect” the military, yet are against “welfare queens” (a lot of them are disabled vets), against national health care (I know one vet who lives in a rural area and has a very hard time commuting to the VA hospital every time he needs a new prescription or something else, so I bet he’d be happy to have options closer to home), and for more wars, which would inevitably create more veterans.
I posted this yesterday but you can find it in Wiki. The song is aligned with the military since the Navy adopted it as their official song. This was during the turn of the century. So it’s been associated with the military ever since.
He does have a point and I defend hisnright to express it.
I wish he had made it before he was looking to start or be traded.
He sounds like a passionate, empathetic guy. That being said, this is a poor move for him and does nothing for his cause. Hopefully, someone with some sense finds him an out for this and then finds him a way to be of use.
I’d advise him to donate a huge pile of $ and then stand for the anthem again and give an interview saying he wants others to pledge $ as well and he’s now standing because he believes America will move into the right side of history.
Well then, please do yourself a favor and don’t attempt to pursue a career in PR, as what you suggest is the polar opposite of what he needs to do. His action is exactly how he can “be of use.”
Yeah I don’t understand these comments alone the lines of “this does nothing for his cause”. I mean…isn’t this what a protest is..?
Making your thoughts and feelings known through a non-violent but potentially provocative action like publicly refusing to stand up during the anthem?
How can people so confidently and emphatically state that he’s not doing anything to further the cause when all of us are here, talking about the BLM movement? How do people know that there’s not some young kid who worships Colin Kaepernick and is inspired by his actions to organize a protest of his own, or to research BLM?
I guess I just don’t understand what people would suggest as the alternative way to shine a light on a cause that is meaningful to someone. This seems like a very effective and essentially peaceful way to say “hey, I’m not ok with this” but somehow, people are finding fault with it. That’s really disheartening to me.
honeybee blues and Kitten, yes, preach. If my own sports-loving teens are any indication, Colin’s protest has re-opened a discussion of racism among us and their friends. Seeing something through a different lens like this can really help reinforce a message that may not have completely resonated up until then.
I’m glad to hear that, Esmom.
He doesn’t need to stand but making a tangible contribution to righting wrongs would make his refusal to stand more impactful.
I feel this way about all celebrities who “speak out” about an issue and then don’t follow through with using their influence and financial power to make changes that most people could never hope to make.
There are a lot of celebrities who have put their money to good work for others. Colin has that chance and I hope he will take it.
“I’d advise him to donate a huge pile of $ and then stand for the anthem again and give an interview saying he wants others to pledge $ as well and he’s now standing because he believes America will move into the right side of history.”
That actually makes 0 sense. He DOESN’T think America is moving into the right side and a huge pile of cash wont change that, and a pile of cash to what cause? Which issue? This isn’t a band-aid problem where one donation will do it up. The problem surrounding the treatment of POC in this country are multi-faceted and complex.
On what planet are his views objectionable? I don’t know why the White House would even say so. I have to stop following this story because my head is going to explode. WHY is this even an issue? It’s a MINOR act of protest in light of a wave of high profile injustices. As far as I see it, everyone should be doing this. But no. The message is: protesting injustice is “objectionable.” Said it before, America is racist to the core.
You think everyone should be not standing up for the anthem for their cause? What effect would that even have? How would anyone know which cause was everyone’s cause? I guess I’d be sitting down for kids in foster care, women’s rights, abortion rights and the arts. But my staying seated with everyone else wouldn’t do anything to further any of those causes. It’s like when my fellow progressives abstain from voting. To send a message. Message received?: America’s conservative, at least by the votes we get in off years!
I don’t give a rats @$$ who sits or stands for an anthem. I used to sit all the time–on base, where they play the anthem before every movie. Because I can, because I don’t care, because if you want to be patriotic JOIN THE MILITARY, THE CIVIL SERVICE, or THE FOREIGN SERVICE. Don’t act like standing for a flag makes you patriotic. Or sitting for a flag makes someone disrespectful. What’s disrespectful are murderous cops and a criminal justice system that won’t prosecute. I take offense to that. Don’t waste my time with this ‘stand for the flag’ nonsense. You want to protest a cause? Go protest. You’re as free to do it your way as he is to do it his way.
Now go Google ‘red herring logical fallacy’ and come back when you have something intelligent to offer.
Good for him for putting his beliefs and principles before endorsement money. Apparently Jackie Robinson said similar things, and Mohommad Ali was also just as provocative. The point to me is not necessarily to agree, but just to get people talking and thinking about these things. I’m not in a position where I constantly have to say the pledge or stand for the anthem anymore but I understand feeling ambivalent about it.
I read on the Intercept about the unsung stanza celebrating the deaths of escaped slaves who’d gone over to the British side during the War of 1812. Thus seems reasonable for the guy to use the anthem as the focus of the point he wants to make. It’s not as though it’s unrelated, is it?
We have a similar pretend-it-was-never-there stanza with the dirge that passes for our Britisher national anthem, banging on about murderising countless Scots. You can see why a Scottish person might object to singing it.
It’s not disrespectful to make a political point about injustice. And if you revere national symbols to the extent you prefer to silence the highlighting of injustice than to acknowledge that injustice, then you’ve lost me.
(Mind you, I’m particularly trenchant on these topics. I don’t just find nationalism/jingoism outright repulsive, I find patriotism faintly ridiculous too. I love Britain because I was born here. I love it like I love my family: it made me and I understand it. Doesn’t mean I think it’s any better or any worse than other countries. Or deserving of lionising over other countries either.)
We have a couple of embarrassing unsung stanzas in the Australian national anthem too. They’re basically a love-letter to Britain which, of course, gets right up the nose of Aboriginals & Torres Strait Islanders. (Seriously, it’s *more* pro-England than even God Save the Queen. I kid you not, there is a direct shout-out to “Rule, Brittannia!” – “With all her faults we love her still, Britannia rules the wave”!) Even the title “Advance Australia Fair” is a bit dodgy, what with the old White Australia Policy and our current treatment of refugees.
Anyway, all that means it’s not at all unusual for racial activists here to refuse to participate. A few of the racist alt-right types get upset, someone prints the objectionable lyrics and everyone else goes “Really? Those are the lyrics? I thought it went “Australians all, let us mumble, mumble, mumble, girt by sea, mumble, mumble Advance O-Straylia Faaaaaaaaiiiiiir”” (The sole silver lining to our anthem is that we must be the only country where a majority of the population knows the meaning of the word “girt”.)
So this whole argument is odd to me. Americans generally respect their anthem, and associate it with the military? Weird! Trying to wrap my head around it, I think it might be closer to how I feel about the Last Post. While I’m fine with open season on our anthem, I probably would have a problem with someone disrespecting the Last Post or using it to make a political point.
I don’t think it’s really *about* the anthem. A few people up and down thread are talking about imperialism. If we leave out a contentious word and just call it superpower or current world’s most powerful country it would be less of an argument-causer, so…
… I think extreme patriotism and reverence of national symbols are always strong in current superpowers. It’s not so much an American thing as a superpower thing. As noted above, the US military isn’t out and about in the world keeping its citizens safe domestically. It’s out and about maintaining and, if possible, extending its superpower status. That’s what superpowers do. They try to maintain their advantage and continue to gain wealth and influence. How that wealth and influence is distributed domestically is then a matter for the domestic politics of the superpower.
A reverence to the symbols surrounding that status are simultaneously a celebration of that success and a way to avoid acknowledging that maintaining superpower status often involves some pretty unpleasant dealings with other nations.
Whether or not you see this as a good or desirable thing depends on whether you prioritise competition or co-operation between nations as the best way to go about things. I prioritise co-operation, which is why I would rather see a multipolar world than a unipolar one, whichever country would be the superpower. And why I’m allergic to all things patriotic. But competition seems to be the name of the game and eventually, another country – likely China – will be the dominant one. At which point, the US focus on and fetishising of the military will begin to decline because its purpose will be gone. (That is, if some idiot in the Pentagon or the Kremlin or or or doesn’t blow us all to bits first).
The decline and the fading of the culture of exceptionalism takes a long time though – generations at least. As can be seen in Britain, where the remaining exceptionalist attitudes of empire have poisoned our relationship with continental Europe to the point of self-harming Brexit.
Good for him for taking a stand. Plus the fact the composer of the song Francis Scott Key history regarding that song and African Americans have never been brought to the forefront as it should. The man was a racist with him even stating the following: “a distinct and inferior race of people, which all experience proves to be the greatest evil that afflicts a community” – thus has always made me look differently at the song being some sort of great symbolism for America, and as an African American I can’t get down with it, never have and don’t think I ever will.
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/wheres-debate-francis-scott-keys-slave-holding-legacy-180959550/?no-ist
Refusing to stand for the anthem strikes me as a rather cheap way for him to purchase self-approval.
What is he really doing to end police brutality and institutional racism?
It’s starting to look like a stunt at this point.
And I personally am not bothered by his refusing to stand.
Really explain this to me, because I find this sentiment absolutely baffling. In a country where
-Mohammad Ali threw his Olympic medal in the Ohio river in protest
-black athletes give the black power salute at the 1968 Olympics in protest
-Serena Williams has to boycott racist tennis tournaments
-and Joe Lewis, Jesse Owens, Jackie Robinson, Jack Johnson–and a million other black athletes–have all had to take a stand for their race…
…you think his gesture is a quest for self-approval? Like the isn’t a massive historical precedent for the very same action, which this athlete is clearly aware of? Black athletes have always been at the forefront of black struggles because music, sports, and the military are the three pathways for black Americans to gain upward mobility. And for everyone saying this is a pointless gesture–YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT IT. That was the point!!
Wait. So people of color are the ones responsible for stopping police brutality and racism? Ok. Got it.
you know how it is Almondjoy, Beast of Burden and whatnot… We are supposed to dismantle the structures we didnt create, don’t benefit us and are rigged against us
But Sure, it’s for attention *eyeroll*
You said it QQ! I mean wasn’t it black people that started that whole racism and systematic oppression thing? *eyeroll*
QQ and Marty, how could I forget 🙄🙄🙄. We started it, now it’s our job to end it!
Word on the street is he “lost” his job November 2015 to a better player and this is his attempt to make real hard for the team to dump him.
Funny that he isn’t talking about all the events and protests he attended, speeches he made, money he donated during the OFFseason- because does any of that exist? Instead, he sits his ass down for 2 minutes and calls it work. It’s this kind of laziness that lead to his spiraling career.
This guy is said to love attention and it was slipping.
It’s a great cause that he’s using for his own needs.
I don’t know if he lost his job to a “better” player. The other guy isn’t a Young or Montana. He would be 3rd string at best in another team. Kap has been under a slump for years now.
Donated money to a charity for kids with heart disease every year since he entered the league and donated money to inner city kids last week.
Here’s a thought why don’t you research these questions that you have instead of assuming he’s doing nothing?
Good for him. He is making a stand and I commend him. I hope he doesn’t lose endorsements over this. He’s using his celeb status to raise awareness of a serious issue.
Let’s be honest – he’s looking for attention. And that’s all I have to say.
I don’t care if he’s angling to lobby a position as the next Lord Xenu. He has a point. He has a worthy cause. What is the problem?
And he got it and with that attention he brought up a worthy and serious cause.
Everyone’s looking for attention or else we’d all retreat from society and do nothing.
But what ELSE is he doing for his cause? Education grants to get those that need it get educated ? Donation to stop violence? What?
Oh, he’s just not standing during a song while he rakes in millions ..oh. ok.
I never believe celebs/athletes/politicos do anything this simple for a simple reason — there is more to the act and stop and time has proven this is usually the case ..so he wants more $? Not be traded? To be traded? he’s mad at the NFL? … much more to the story than what the media is telling…
He has a right to do what he wants and don’t need approval from anyone. However, he must know that there is a consequence to all our behavior, good and bad. He just has made up his mind that he will be getting more negative comments than positive. I wish he had taken another way of expressing himself. He mentioned that DT is racist and HC had said something about some black kid were super predictors 20 years ago. To me saying this sounded simplistic for him to take such a strong stand by turning his back on the flag, by not standing. IMO I don’t see this making a difference that we will see the killings going down in some community. The police needs retraining and to be more respectful to the people they serve, and some of the kids needs be more respectful to the police. I would rather K would use his notoriety by being a mentor in some poor community the children who cannot see a better path than joining a gang or working to change the gun laws by making it harder for some to get their hands on a gun, jmo.
B n A fn : I often disagree with your point of view, but in this case I think you are spot on.
Well said.
@crumpet, I generally try to have a different pov from most of the comments posted. I like to spice things up, just to be different, and read some of the comments from people who do not agree with me.
How do you know he’s not a mentor already? We know he didn’t stand for the national anthem. We don’t know how he uses his time or money for these causes. You can’t assume anything.
I wish he would have told us what he’s doing to make this country a better place instead of guessing what other solutions he has been working on.
B n a fn… I agree with all you said here. I think it is strange the way everyone thinks this guy has done something so incredible.
He can sit or stand and this world will turn just like before. It doesn’t call my attention to anything except that he is direspectful. And I have the right to that opinion just like he has the right to sit. I know the commenters here that are so tolerant get very upset to see someone say that… But that’s how I see it.
Sitting for the pledge and burning buildings in riots don’t do anything for the cause but turn a lot of people off. Sorry… But that’s the truth.
It speaks volumes that you equate sitting for the anthem with burning buildings. Rioting and peaceful demonstrations aren’t the same thing.
Nah… I don’t equate them. I just don’t think either further the cause. But I am not going to get too excited about any of it. Thankful I live in a country where this guy can act this way. But that’s why I would stand up.
He is hot though. I will give him that.
Hilarious. He gets his millions whether he sits or stands. He has a right to be disrespectful to our nation’s anthem, and people have the right to not watch that team play on TV. Simple.
Sorry greenieweenie but I disagree–we are spending more time talking about this man’s actions than about the underlying issues themselves.
Did this country really need to wait for CK to sit on his a** in order to start talking about racism in America? I don’t think so.
He’s done nothing to add to the discourse in this country.
Wrong. With his action, he got sportswriters to write about him. And because they have, I now have a new understanding of what it means to be American: it means you think the statement “black Americans are oppressed” is debatable.
Reminds me of when people used to think the statement “women are equal to men” was debatable.
All of you who don’t get this, who think there’s something debatable–you are the white moderate MLK reviled. You are white entrenchment. You are the establishment that can’t be bothered to dismantle and rebuild. Ultimately, you are the reason why there is so much injustice in America. You tolerate it.
But keep telling yourselves you’re just about freedom and respect, and this guy is the one who isn’t doing anything.
Let’s also talk about what he said about Hillary Clinton. He said in his press conference she belongs in jail for her deleted emails. Funny how no one is grabbing on to that part of his statement.
Is he wrong? Gov’t injustice comes in all forms.
….? What does one have to do with the other? Jesus people are…
We can easilly disagree with someone on one opinion while finding another opinion and set of actions admirable. This is actually possible.
@curtis: , I did not mentioned him saying “Clinton belongs in jail for her deleted email” because it’s just talk. I guess you agrees with him. If I’m not mistaken you are a DT fan. People just don’t go to jail because some people think you should be in jail. If this was true, DT would have been in prison by now for all the dirt out there about him. Eg, Trump University scams, Trump scamming contractors, ect. .
@ Curtis
I know I thought that was interesting too. This was his comment on HRC and DT –
He added, “I mean, you have Hillary [Clinton] who’s called black teens or black kids super-predators. You have Donald Trump who’s openly racist. I mean, we have a presidential candidate who’s deleted emails and done things illegally and is a presidential candidate. That doesn’t make sense to me, because if that was any other person, you’d be in prison. So what is this country really standing for?”
YES KING YES!!! i Honestly broke into spontaneous Clapping in this office LOL YES YES YES!! The people that keep being sore and salty on this and that want to “punish him” for not playing docile boy are telling on themselves and simply validating his protest LOLOLO
Saltier than the Dead Sea.
He can do what he wants. At some point, though, it’s going to distract from the game. If I were a teammate or a fan, I’d be concerned. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.
Him sitting is going to distract fans from the game?
The NFL spends billions to make it the flashiest shiniest rooting tootiest gong-show they can during the season if a fan gets distracted by one man sitting among all that visual and audio melee then they’re looking for the man and want to be distracted.
Broadcast announcers will be talking about this. Teammates will be asked about it. It will be brought up over and over. Not to mention, he will be booed. So, yeah. It’s a distraction.
If you follow the 9ers, the management believes in Divide and Conquer and rumor mongering. That is how the other coach (Harbaugh) lost his job – even though he got the team on a winning streak. 9ers operate on a whisper campaign. We knew Harbaugh was on his way out (even though he did not know it) a year before he left because management began leaking negative stories to the press.
You can bet this issue will distract the team and the Yorks will use this as an excuse to dump Kap.
I’m speaking as a football fan’s perspective. I’ve followed the 9ers all my life (from the Walsh/Seifert glory year and up to Harbaugh). I’m no longer a fan because the Yorks are shady as hell. I’m just explaining the mgmt game plan.
I don’t care if he sits or stands so I have no opinion about that. I do think the 9ers suck.
I’d add…”distract from the game?” Game is the operative word here, men playing ball. It’s not like he’s disrupting peace talks.
Good for him.
I’m always amazed or astonished by a country who dragged half of its citizens here to work in chains, interned another portion, put the last traces of another on reservations and frankly has pretty much screwed with each minority generation in some way expects devotion and loyalty and support for flag and country.
Obsessively so.
You can support men and women choosing to fight for what they believe without supporting their beliefs. I will never doubt in my mind a military person is an individual who has passionate feelings about service and their belief in this country. Their opinions and sacrifice can not become a chain link attaching all of us. I am sure they would not want that, I am sure many of them fight AGAINST that. Fantaticism is an evil bud of good intent and positive ideas that become something unable to be challenged or debated.
Learn from other countries.
Material wealth has never equaled political or practical equality for Black people, I thought we knew this.
You didn’t know rich black people are magically immune to racism? For shame.
He has every right to express himself, because he is an American. That right was given to him by all of the men and women who died to give him that freedom.
What I want to know from him is this: What else are you doing in your community to help the situation besides sitting on your *ss? Are you volunteering with at-risk youth? Are you donating your time and money to organizations like Big Brother/Big Sister? Are you doing anything other than sitting on your butt complaining?
Everyone loves to complain about problems in their community and country, but very few are actually getting involved to help.
^^^^THIS
Justin Bieber donated $35,000 to my non-profit – it didn’t stop hunger. To make a stand it takes more than a few hours with a child or tossing a tin in the bin. It takes a public stance – do you know there are hundreds of First Nations people protesting the construction of a pipeline in Standing Rock..some are displaying the flag upside down – they are protesting to stop the construction in order to protect the environment by your statement they should dedicate their time to knitting hats for the homeless.
Sherry: and even if he was doing ALL of that, there would STILL be lots of people complaining and bashing him for his stance. People of color are wrong when they speak out, when theyre quiet, when they’re for the cause, when they aren’t. Beyonce gives back in a big way and she’s ripped to shreds in the media as are many other celebs who take a stand. Lebron James gives tons of money to urban schools and he get bashed for it. There is just no winning.
I suggest you do more research. Your statement that very few are getting involved to help is not factual.
Thank you, AlmondJoy!
And Sherry, doing some research about what he does wouldn’t even take a minute. But for the sake of saving you time, Colin’s been a regular participant in numerous fundraisers, especially a yearly organisation for children with heart diseases. Can he talk about it now? He’s speaking on an issue that NEEDS to be addressed in the US.
I won’t even go into the fact that you called this “complaining”.
Thank you. My point exactly
I hope that these discussions will help the people from the outside of the US to see just how imperialistic and totalitarian the US is. How much propaganda is here, how much power the military has. And why Trump is the logical consequence of all of that, not just a fluke.
The US is very good at projecting a completely different image to the rest of the world, that of a democratic and open and free country. The reality is very different. The US is an empire.
All empires fall eventually
Would you feel happy about it?
When Empires/Political Systems fall, most often the next couple of Generations are paying horrible for what was done when the Empire was strong and most wish then the Empire back. New Systems are seldom nicer and often harsher and more brutal with their cleaning out old rules, a lot of innocent people often caught in the crossfire, till they Start to settle down after a few Generations.
He’s not really bringing any sort of shining light on the BLM movement because people see it as being more about HIM than his cause.
There were rumors that the 49ers were going to cut him when they have to go down to 75 on their roster (which I believe is today?). Now, maybe they are less likely to do it, but if they did, I can just hear the indigent screaming now. Never mind that the dude has been an awful player and has made excuse after excuse for it, that never seem to actually involve, you know, his terrible playing. Whether he means it or not, this comes off as a stunt to focus attention on HIM. I don’t hear people on ESPN talking about BLM or racism, I don’t hear people on radio doing it either. They are talking about Colin Kapernick, which is exactly what it appears he wants.
I also agree with everyone wanting to know what else he’s doing to actually make a difference. A rich guy who is getting 11 million dollars this year whether he plays or not, sitting for the anthem on a field with a bunch of other rich guys, then going home to his mansion and patting himself on the back for his effort isn’t impressive to me at all.
I’ll be honest, Susan Sarandon and I have a lot of opposing views, but I admire her for the way she fights passionately for her causes. She donates money, sure, but also her time and doesn’t always make it a public event when she does. I pay attention to what she does and what her causes are, even if I don’t always agree with them.
All that said, I have a grandfather, father, brother, sister-in-law, and husband who all served/serve in the military (Hubby comes home from deployment this weekend! YAY!) so that he has the right to sit during the National Anthem. He’s welcome to keep doing it as long as he likes, but he can’t be indignant and unhappy when people think he’s an entitled jerk. It works both ways.
Glad your husband is coming home to you! And a big thanks to your family.
Thanks! I think I am more excited than my kids are, but they just started kindergarten and preschool in the last couple of weeks, so they are quite excited.
How does your husband being in the military gives Colin the right to sit during the anthem? As someone said, the military isn’t really protecting the US. The Us wasn’t in danger in any of the wars it fought in the last few decades.
Posted in the wrong spot.
I suggest that you find a military scholar and ask them this question.
Not all of our ‘wars’ in the past few decades might have been on the level of WW2, but if you think that mere existence of our military hasn’t keep this country safe, then we are both starting from a position that arguing would be pointless.
Maplegirl… There are those of us that feel that our military helps to keep us safe and free in this country. And Abby and her husband obviously feel the same way or he probably wouldn’t have left his family to go off to who-knows-where.
Maybe I am in the minority here… But I feel very fortunate to have been born in the US. I know people work hard every day to find a way to come here for something better. It isn’t perfect… Because people aren’t perfect. And yes, we’ve made lots of mistakes. But I have a great life. I didn’t do anything to deserve it… I am just here. And so glad I am. I guess I could be worrying how I was going to find something for my child to eat tonight… Instead of commenting on a celebrity gossip website.
” I guess I could be worrying how I was going to find something for my child to eat tonight”
Somebody is, because of what the US military does to their countries. Americans are insulated from the consequences of our country’s wrongdoings and find hard to understand the criticism. But the chickens will eventually come home to roost. Our children will have to pay for what our country does. It would really help us to be more humble.
For now Europe is paying the price for the Middle Eastern and North African wars and all the geopolitical chess games the US is involved in.
Thank you for your insight Sasha. I had no idea that the US was such a plague on the rest of the world. Things must have been peaches before our country was established. Again, we aren’t perfect but we have done a lot of good. We have citizens that have done a lot of good.
You think people in Europe and Africa weren’t warring before we came into the picture?
Sorry… The US isnt to blame for everything that happens.
A lot of the unstability currently in the Middle East can be atributed to the US and Russia destabilising the area and playing power games. And if the concern were civil liberties, why is the US so tight with Saudi Arabia? The US foreign policies did some good, but they also did some bad too. From Vietnam to Iraq, there are things that should he criticised, but for some reason never are.
Every country has citizens that did a lot of good. That doesn’t mean it shouldn’t ne criticised.
@LuckyJane: done good for whom? Where? Have you visited anywhere out of this country, perhaps a place that isn’t Western Europe?
We have and continue to mess with so many places on the planet in the name of our own interests. And we will continue to do that until our country falls. That’s what our military does.
I am grateful to be from the US because I have their passport and because I get better perks. I will not defend our wrongs, nor will I be blind to them. You are welcome to do such if you wish.
@Maplegirl: I studied in SEA and what we did to Vietnam was criminal. What we did to Cambodia and Laos was worse. I am glad I now know the truth but it makes me mad that many people don’t. I didn’t get any of it taught to me in school. The truth is many people don’t really get how to US affects the rest of the world and that is one part of why we are in the current political situation we are in.
G… I have traveled out of the country quite a bit. My having a different opinion doesn’t mean I am ignorant or have never been anywhere. I never said the US was perfect… And I am aware we do things that I do not agree with and consider wrong. But all this bashing like we are the reason for discord everywhere else… Places where people were fighting long before the Declaration of Independence was signed.. I just find it ridiculous.
Still happy to live where I do. Still very grateful. You don’t have to agree. Ain’t it great?!
“But all this bashing like we are the reason for discord everywhere else”
How many deaths do you think the US should cause for the bashing to be deserved? The number is already in millions.
For me , one is too many. For people affected by the US foreign policies one is too many.
Many Americans don’t think it is deserved because they are not affected .
Sasha… You get to think what you want but none of this changes my mind. I don’t know of any perfect countries out there, just like I don’t know any perfect people.
If my being incredibly grateful for being born in this country offends you or anyone else… That is not my problem.
Lmaoooo @ all the things Kap needs to do ti be taken “seriously”
The real truth is, there is never a perfect.way to deliver a message that some people desperately dont want to hear
Kap could say the same thing at a press conference.with Jesus, Joseph and Mary at his back and someone will find it “inappropriate”
The fact that people wanna discuss how he delivered his message and if he is single handedly saving the world rather than the injustice and racism behind his protest really tells you all you need to know.
Exactly.
All the people wagging their fingers and claiming that he should be donating instead of protesting should ask themselves what are THEY doing to fix the problems in this country that concern them? Is every single person here donating money to support the causes that are meaningful to them?
I’m very passionate about reproductive rights but I don’t donate every year to Planned Parenthood (although I have in the past) so does that mean I don’t have the right to complain about this country’s incessant need to control women’s bodies? I guess I’m just supposed to STFU because I haven’t “earned” the right to complain. GMAFB.
People are so ridiculous.
He is doing, EXACTLY, but EXACTLY, what the Constitution says citizens should do to make the Republic operate.
Keep sitting, Colin.
Not American, no idea who he was/is before this story broke, but I applaud him for taking a principled stance and being up for the fall-out, some of which (I’ve had a google) is just predictably and mind-numbingly nationalistic and bigoted. Quelle surprise.
But anyway, whilst googling, I did learn a few things about him: that he’s adopted and that he’s hands-on committed to a charity set up by his parents in memory of their two lost children to heart disease. And that he fundraises regularly to support that charity. So he seems like a decent human being to me and not really someone who sits ‘self-satisfied in his mansion’, to lazily quote (because I can’t be arsed to scroll back up to read ) earlier criticism of him.
I can’t predict what direction his stance will take but if it inspires other high profile players/people to pause and think and maybe sit down with him in protest, then who knows? Mighty oaks from little acorns could grow.
I say good for him! I was a fan of his before and now even more so. I agree with him and have no intention of singing that song anymore. I was actually shocked to realize many ppl in my life, including veterans, have never song it for the exact reasons he mentioned. I’m actually glad he spoke out because I was not aware of the true meaning behind the entire song. My only issue is I wish the amount of anger being thrown at him would have been given & continue to be given to cops who kill innocent people in this country.
Also for the ppl telling Colin & other poc to leave America, Trump included…unless you are Native American you have NO right to tell someone to leave this country! Cause in that case WE all should leave.
It is very telling that people say colin should get off his ass and volunteer with at risk youth or in poor communities yada yada. Can he teach them to dodge bullets or be less poor or less black? Let’s focus on his ghost motives instead of the real crisis behind BLM. Keyboard activism = lolol
Yeah, I noticed that too. Everyone who got specific when they suggested he put his money/time where his mouth is, suggested he work with “at risk” youth, do mentoring, etc.
Pure dog-whistle. He’s specifically protesting about institutionalised racism, police getting paid-desk work for shooting innocent civilians … and everyone suggests he mentors black kids? Because it’s obviously their fault they have a high risk of getting shot by police (while being completely innocent). Yep. Obviously.
I’m sure the people who suggested it are thinking “But, but – I only said that because the death rates from gang crime are higher than the risk of being innocent and killed by a police officer”. If you actually cared about the number of lives saved, why not suggest he focus on heart disease (the number one cause of death of black males)? It’s because you don’t care about the number of lives, you just want to blame blacks for unprovoked police violence. Do you not realize how obvious your bias is? Do you think you’re passing as a decent, caring, person? You’re not. We can see straight through you.
(Note – He DOES donate to a heart disease charity.)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has written a very good, very thoughtful piece about this protest. I can’t post the link but I encourage people to find and read it.
Thanks for the tip Lilacflowers. To me, the main point (which Kareem totally nailed) is the irony: you can’t brag about American freedoms and then call someone unpatriotic when they use their freedom of speech to call out the government.
He’ll continue to sit because he lost his job as a starter, too.
Being a Seahawks fan I generally have nothing good to say about Kaepernick and the 9ers, but this level of criticism is pretty ridiculous. Kaepernick can’t win. Look at a sampling of criticisms from this thread alone:
– Kaepernick is a rich athlete, what’s he complaining about? Just because you are rich does not mean you can’t complain about injustice for others, in fact, that’s often the only way it gets attention, since poor/oppressed people may not be able to stand up for themselves, or lack the platform to get attention. If he didn’t say/do anything, he’d be criticized for not caring about anything except his money/endorsements.
– He can talk, but why doesn’t he get off his *ss and actually do something? Firstly, we don’t know exactly what he may do/donate/etc. Secondly, what he’s doing is a much more visible way of getting attention to this problem than donating money, unless he were to donate billions of $$, which he doesn’t have (and probably not even then). Finally, this entire rationale of “provide a list of all the good deeds you have done before you criticize anything” is absurd. Fact and reason-based arguments are a perfectly acceptable way to protest things. It is not required that you have some kind of pedigree.
– The flag is strongly tied to the military, so not respecting the flag is disrespecting the military: No. The flag may have special significance to the military, but it also has significance as an emblem of the country. That’s why it’s flown at international events, e.g. Olympics, which is not a war. Kaepernick did not do a thing to disrespect the military.
– He’s just trying to get attention because he’s on a losing streak/might be benched/wants to be traded: Possibly, but when he was on a winning streak, he (and many others) may not have realized how systemic this problem is. What is he supposed to do, wait until he starts winning? His team may be terrible (and I’m quite delighted that it is), but he’s still a better athlete than 99.9% of people, so it’s not like he’s some couch potato.
– Kaepernick should feel grateful to have been born in the US: He can do that while still feel shame and sorrow for the injustices that can happen here to those less fortunate.
Basically, he can’t win. Either he is a rich, spoiled athlete or he’s on a losing streak and trying to get attention, either he should donate a ton of money or he should shut up and be grateful to be an American, etc, etc, etc. Even if his motives are cynical he is within his rights to do what he is doing, he has quite a bit to lose by doing it, and if you don’t like it, that’s fine, but why not just say “I disagree because X” instead of making this a personal attack on his character and abilities?
The 3rd stanza refers to the Blacks who were offered freedom by the British who American were at war with, War of 1812. They were offered freedom by the British or the chance to remain slaves, counted as 3/5 of a being. Some choose freefom! The song expresses how the author felt about those Blacks.
There’s no reaching here.
So whether the 3rd stanza is sang or not, when you take the song ad a singular body of work, you take all of it, racist lyrics and all.
Wow, Maple Girl, just wow.
I’ve been on this site for a long time, I love the stories but really enjoy the comments. Every morning I show up to read the intelligent, educated, multi cultural opinions of the people who share their thoughts with me. I always feel smarter and more educated after reading what you all have to say and your commentary usually inspires me to think outside my little box.
Tonight is the first time I’ve felt compelled to bring on some controversy. I’m only about half way through these comments and I need to ask you all. Especially the outspoken ones, will you please go back to your comments about the morning show host who used an inappropriate term for POC and compare them to K’s “slip of the tongue?” I admit I’m sheltered, I often felt like you all open my mind. If you truly look at your comments on this post paralleled with the comments about the other lady, why are you so forgiving of his inappropriate language?