Below is the post I put up almost a year ago about Colin Kaepernick not standing for the national anthem. I still support those sentiments however I don't feel that it's working. I say this for a variety of reasons: First of all it bothers me that the method of delivering the message offends so many others. There are many methods NFL players could use to raise awareness of the issues of oppression, violence, race relations etc. I'm not sure choosing one that makes people so uncomfortable is the most effective. Secondly I think it's difficult to get others to join in with helping share your message when the delivery method you choose is so controversial. Michael Bennett wants white players to join in the protests to add credibility. If I'm an NFL player I would support the idea of working to raise awareness of these important issues, however there is zero chance that I would sit during the anthem. Finally, and probably the biggest reason I think this is no longer succeeding, very few of the discussions I hear about players not standing for the anthem actually mention why they are doing this and none discuss the issue in any depth. The message is being lost because of the controversial delivery method.
Last year's post: I don't love Colin Kaepernick's delivery method for his message but I'm glad to see a football player using his platform to raise awareness of an issue. There will be those who say it isn't effective but that's simply not true. The 49ers pledged a million dollars to organizations that work on issues of racial and economic inequality. That is just one example of the positive reactions.
Some feel it's disrespectful to veterans to not stand during the anthem. I respect that opinion. Mine is that those heroes fought (and continue to fight) to give us freedoms. Arguably the most important of those is freedom of expression.
Some comment that he makes X number of millions of dollars a year how can he be oppressed? By that logic I have to stop supporting the local food bank because I have a house full of food.
"The purpose of influence is to stand up for those who have none" Rick Warren
Some feel it's disrespectful to veterans to not stand during the anthem. I respect that opinion. Mine is that those heroes fought (and continue to fight) to give us freedoms. Arguably the most important of those is freedom of expression.
Some comment that he makes X number of millions of dollars a year how can he be oppressed? By that logic I have to stop supporting the local food bank because I have a house full of food.
"The purpose of influence is to stand up for those who have none" Rick Warren
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