To those who are ranting and raving about Colin Kapernick’s personal decision to sit out during the national anthem — he just outsmarted you. Here’s what’s up.

This is probably the 20th post you’ve seen about Colin Kapernick this week alone. Some of you may be growing tired of it already while others can’t get enough of the latest news on what big shot decided to join Kapernick’s movement this time. Everywhere I look on social media, I see controversy and spewed opinions over this particular subject matter. The point of this article is not to give you another earful of my personal opinion on Kapernick’s choice to protest — the point of this article is to prove to you that Kapernick knows you don’t agree with his choice to take a knee, and that’s what makes him so smart about it.

What’s the point?

People are talking.

Before I move on, I want to rightfully argue Tomi Lahren’s ignorant videos on Colin Kapernick. One quote reads dripping in sarcasm, “…your perceived oppression.” Tomi — and anyone else who agrees with her — I’m just here to once again remind you that black people are oppressed. I didn’t think I’d have to say it, but it appears people need that extra reminder. To those who are upset about Colin’s “disrespect,” I have two things to say: 1) You probably aren’t black. 2) They are desperate for change.

Now that my biased opinion is out of the way, let me go back to my first point.

You may be angrily asking yourself, “What do you mean by that? He’s disrespecting our country and our fallen soldiers, and the people who fight for our freedom! If he hates our country so much, he should leave! He gets to throw a ball for millions of dollars a year! What a disgrace.”

Back up — so being a million-dollar athlete automatically makes you turn a cheek to the ruthless, senseless, slaughters of your brethren? They’re rich, so they must be happy with how things are turning out? They can’t have any issues with our country because they have money in the bank?

Get this — million dollar athletes are “disrespectfully” protesting on national television because they have the power to get people talking. How do you change a big, ongoing, national problem? You make people talk about it. You get it out there and you make people uncomfortable. You remind people of the blood being unfairly shed.

Kapernick and his teammates — and all other athletes who are joining the take-a-knee movement — are using their power and their screen time to make people talk.

You’re outraged! You run to call your neighbor, or your sister, and you shout, “Did you see what this ungrateful fool is doing?!”

Despite your opinion, it makes national news. It takes over social media. Now, people are writing about it. People are reporting about it. Non-football fans are tuning into the games at night to see who decided to take a knee this time. Your Facebook friends are sharing videos and pictures, over and over, while Kapernick smiles to himself because it is intended to be a movement.

It’s being talked about, week after week, and it’s making people think. Those who are against Colin’s personal decision are turning the focus from injustice to the importance of our flag and our national anthem, and how “detrimental” it is to not stand on two feet for it.

While I agree our national anthem is something we have learned to be patriotic and respectful towards, I still do have to ask — how else should African Americans protest?

You don’t like when they stand on freeways and make you late to work. You don’t like when they set things on fire, vandalize, and destroy property. You don’t like when they march down the streets of NYC, and you don’t like when they respectfully get down on one knee to honor those who have been brutally murdered.

So really — what choice do they have left other than to do something much larger than them and get people talking?

It’s 2016, and unfortunately, 52 years later, we apparently need the football industry to help us make sure we don’t forget it — we still have no justice for African Americans.

So continue on sharing your patriotic Facebook posts and ranting and raving about our “disrespectful athletes.” You’re entitled to your opinion, (just like Kapernick…) but please — don’t veer away from what the peaceful protest is really about. Respect to them, but it’s not about our veterans.

Keep talking.

Day after day, week after week, athletes will continue to join the movement sparked by Kapernick in hopes of infusing change.

You may think that by continuing to talk, you are helping change people’s opinions on the matter, but truthfully, you are unknowingly being the change that we need. And so, from those of us who know this movement will invoke some thought — we thank you for continuing to keep the subject a headliner.