I love everything about football: the jerseys, the food, the Sunday nights, the thrill and of course those “edge of the seat” moments. But what I love most about football, is the effect the athletes have on the fans. The recent scandal surrounding football player Colin Kaepernick is the embodiment of this idea. Over the pre-season, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick has willingly immersed himself into controversy by refusing to stand for the playing of the national anthem in protest of what he deems are wrongdoings against African Americans and minorities in the United States. As Kaepernick states, " [he will not stand] to show pride for a country that oppresses black people".
From a young age, many are taught to always stand for the national anthem as a way to honor those who fight for our country: some even have loved ones who have left their homes to fight overseas to protect our freedom and way of life. Therefore, people are completely appalled by the sight of Colin Kaepernick kneeling down during the national anthem.People are burning his jerseys, other athletes are negatively responding on social media, and even many politicians are criticizing Kaepernick for his actions. As they believe we have to honor the thousands of people, who sacrifice their own lives. And even though Colin Kaepernick may have the right as a citizen to kneel for the national anthem, many feel that his actions are disrespectful.
However, when addressing Colin Kaepernick's stance on the oppression of blacks, many argue that in our society today people like Oprah, Magic Johnson, etc. have proven that racism is no longer an issue in the country. Some point out that even our country’s president is African American, so therefore racism isn’t an issue in today’s society. This is completely untrue.
Racism is a growing problem in our country and the sad part is racism isn’t a new issue in America, as it has been an issue for many years now. Lately, racism has presented itself in a different manner due to the extreme police brutality against African Americans. Police brutality was brought to the attention in the year of 2014, when the country heard about the fatalities of Donte Hamilton, Eric Church, John Crawford III, Michael Brown Jr, etc. All of these men had two things in common: they were both unarmed African Americans, and in all situations, the officers were not charged with any offense. Nearly 1 in 3 black individuals killed by police in 2015 were identified as unarmed, though the actual number is likely higher due to under-reporting. Additionally, “37% of unarmed people killed by police were black in 2015 despite black people being only 13% of the U.S. population.” This has sparked the protests against black oppression in America. In just the 793 days, there has been at least 1,447 protests for the "Black Lives Matter" campaign. Colin Kaepernick has explained that his protest is an effort to stand alongside everyone supporting this campaign.
It is admirable to see Colin Kaepernick’s brave protest to bring this issue to the eyes of so many. A true athlete is one who can not only put 110% effort on the field, but one who can inspire so many people as well. Colin Kaepernick has proven himself to be a true athlete. However, both arguments, for and against Kaepernick, are valid. Those who find Kaepernick's protest disrespectful have valid arguments. But police brutality and racism is a growing issue in our society and there is no doubt something must be done.
Overall, though Colin Kaepernick is protesting for a noble cause and has opened the eyes of some to see the issue in our society, many are focusing way to much on how he is protesting, rather than what he is protesting for. It is understandable as to why Colin Kaepernick would make this stand, but when he refuses to stand for the national anthem he is bringing focus on the issue of patriotism and respect for our country, rather than the issue of racism itself.
