By Alec Williams
During the preseason game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Green Bay Packers on Aug. 26, cameras turned towards 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick when they noticed he was the only man on the sidelines not standing during the national anthem, thus beginning an uproar that seems to have no end.
“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 said following the game. “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.”
Generally, it seems as though everyone has an opinion on whether this was the right way to enact protest. Though, there are also those who believe he has nothing to argue about.
That does not seem like an argument that needs to be had. Kaepernick’s criticisms are not unwarranted, there is a serious divide between some law enforcement and black citizens in this country. But, we have to ask: is this going to push us in the right direction?
Kaepernick has incredible power it seems. An unending argument has been brewing about police racism and brutality in this country, but once a football player chooses to sit, we as a country finally begin to have a conversation.
That can point you towards further troubling questions about us as people. Despite all of this, I am still torn, I cannot definitively tell you that this was the right way, at the right time. This racial divide, as an issue, is so complicated that we will not be able to fully explain it until it is in the history books.
For now, all I CAN say is that it is his right as an American to choose to sit. Is it disrespectful to some? Of course it is.
Kaepernick repeated this same protest during the Chargers game on Sept. 1, which happened to be Military night. While there was no more backlash than expected, many veterans were not happy.
An interesting aspect to look into is Kaepernick’s standing with his team was rocky before this protest. After losing the Super Bowl to the Ravens in 2012, the quarterback has been combating various injuries that have kept him on and off the sideline.
By starting this protest, Kaepernick has made it difficult for the 49ers to consider cutting him, if that was a thought they had before. The timing, nonetheless, is something to consider.
I cannot say that I agree with all of Kaepernick’s methods. During a preseason practice in August, Kaepernick wore socks depicting pigs dressed as police officers. In any other circumstance this could be considered an amusing anecdote, but now that Kaepernick has made himself a self-proclaimed protester, actions like this become analyzed.
By wearing these socks, he is making a statement, one that says that there are two sides in a war. Cops versus black people. This will not solve the problem, this will only make Americans feel more divided. You either support cops or you support African-Americans.
This was not his intention, as he said this is supposed to be directed towards rogue cops. But could you possibly turn the tables in any way?
