LBS- In an interview with NFL Media’s Steve Wyche, Kaepernick admitted he is taking a stand against the United States.
“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses Black people and people of color,” he said. “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.” “This is not something that I am going to run by anybody,” he said. “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.” Bravo Colin Kaepernick, Bravo! You can say what you want about the largely un-American narrative he's promoting, but don't you dare argue that he didn't find a new and original way to stand up - metaphorically speaking, of course - against discrimination in this country. If four of the NBA's most accomplished, decorated, and respected athletes speaking together as one on stage at an internationally broadcast award show didn't raise awareness of the plight of the African American then it's clear that someone was going to have to get a little creative. I didn't think it was going to be the backup quarterback of a team that is projected to downright dreadful, but hey - sometimes big things come in useless packaging. I suppose you can argue - given his position on the depth chart - that by riding the pine and sulking throughout the National Anthem he actually didn't do a single thing differently then he would have had the game started. Still, if the plan was to exhaust all options to put end to prejudice in this country then he really fell on the sword by doing nothing. You know what they say, sometimes the best action is inaction. Not sure that applies when you are sending an anti-nationalistic message on behalf of an entire race of marginalized people, but - as a white male - I'm not at liberty to say that it doesn't either. And who knows better about oppression than someone who was raised by two white oppressors...err...I mean, parents. Seriously, if anyone understands what it's like to be held down by the white man it's the person that got tucked into bed by him. I'm almost certain the black community wouldn't have picked someone else to make a spectacle of themselves on account of their rights. The guy who was blessed with loving parents via adoption, a free education via scholarship, and millions upon millions of dollar via ONE good season of professional football is the perfect poster boy for the oppressed. No chance that squatting in defiance of the nation that's awarded him a strong support system and a lifetime of financial security comes off as disingenuous. If I know anything about worldly cultures it's that the country that is the single biggest culprit of institutional racism is also the one that "claims" to give Colin Kaepernick freedom, so you're goddamn right he's going to do everything he can to change that by...sitting on his ass? P.S. I'm not saying that Colin Kaepernick's views on race in America were formulated by some combination of white guilt and the evening news, but I'm not saying they weren't either. It would certainly make sense with the attention-starved, immature way he chose to take aim at an important societal issue... 
1 Comment
Grunge
8/29/2016 02:17:11 pm
Doesn't hurt to mention he's converting to Islam. Leave a Reply. |
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