San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick knelt with his arms folded during the performance of the US national anthem during a pre-season game in San Diego on Thursday, continuing his protest against racial injustice and police brutality.
Kaepernick, 28, has pledged to continue sitting during the performance of “The Star Spangled Banner” before National Football League games, a move that has been both criticised and cheered by commentators.
He was met by heavy boos from the crowd during pre-game warm-ups at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, which is home to US Navy and Marine bases.
A banner in the crowd read: “You’re an American. Act like one.”
Is this all that important? The news is consumed with this story.
I don’t agree with the guy’s POV. However, it’s his right to protest. If his bosses fire him, they are on might shaky grounds constitutionally.
It seems to me that the people who are bellowing the loudest over his behavior are the very people who are flag-waving the hardest. There seems to be some sort of disconnect between the right to protest and all that flag waving.
I actually don’t care what he does. I don’t agree with him at all but I respect his right to protest and I respect him for standing up to all the guff he is taking.
Hats off to him for standing up for his beliefs. It’s easy to wave an American flag in a field full of American flag wavers. It’s not easy to take an unpopular position and stand up for that position (or in his case, kneel).
