Athletes; they are the role models of the world. Every day they inspire, teach, and lead the children of their countries…but what happens when these role models demonstrate actions specifically against their own country? This is exactly what San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick is guilty of doing this past week. During one of his recent preseason games against Green Bay, Kaepernick literally refused to stand up and show his patriotism during the playing of the national anthem. This action has sparked an uproar of controversy throughout America. Football fans and non-football fans alike exploded in outrage as it was revealed by Kaepernick himself that his reason for sitting was due to the oppression of African Americans. Kaepernick told NFL Media, “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color."
While the oppression of black citizens is an ongoing issue at the moment, I believe it is just ignorant of Kaepernick to attack the entire country by not showing support for it by sitting rather than to use his power and fame for a more positive approach such as campaigning off the field. In stating that America is a “country that oppresses black people,” what Kaepernick is doing is ultimately substituting a part for the whole. We do not live in a country that oppresses black people. No, that is an ignorant statement. The correct statement would be that we live in a country where certain individuals oppress the African American community while others do not. Kaepernick, having a white biological mother, and two white adoptive parents, should be more than aware of the fact that not all white American citizens are looking to oppress African Americans.
Yes, there are those individuals who do persecute African American’s, but are all white Americans to be stereotyped as oppressive people by Kaepernick because of this? When Kaepernick refused to stand for the national anthem, he not only disrespected the country, but even those who fight for it. In one photograph (pictured in title) Kaepernick is shown sitting, while the men in uniform stand erect. It honestly is disrespectful to the soldiers because they are the ones that go to war, fight, and sometimes die for their country, yet Kaepernick can’t even show respect for them by standing for the flag and all that it represents, such as the soldiers who have died to make this country the free land that it is today.
Tons of fans in the stands booed Kaepernick and even his own biological mother took to Twitter to express that Kaepernick’s actions were wrong. His mother, Heidi Russo wrote, “There's ways to make change w/o disrespecting & bringing shame to the very country & family who afforded you so many blessings. The path less traveled doesn't need to be one of destruction.” Russo was right in her belief that this was a disrespectful way of advocating for change. It would have taken just as much effort to assemble outside of a nationally televised football game and petition for change as it took for him to unpatriotically sit during our national anthem.
The bottom line is Kaepernick should be acting as a role model for his young viewers. Teaching them to revolt against their own nation’s patriotism isn’t exactly the best thing for them. This type of demonstration against one’s country is what causes harmful revolts and innocent police officers to be killed. If Kaepernick feels this strongly against his country refusing to stand for it then why don’t we ask ourselves how is it he will still accept his big fat check from them?
