Recently, I was getting my haircut at a barber shop near campus. Like any barber shop, there is always conversation. I've never been good at starting conversation with people I don't know so I asked him if he was ready for the NFL season to start. The man said "yeah I am boycotting the NFL 'cause they won't make em stand during the Anthem." I wanted to argue with him but I also wanted a good haircut. The man continued to rant about Colin Kaepernick. I just sat in silence listening to him and the other barber talk back and forth about it, saying how disrespectful Colin is, how he makes millions and he should shut up, stuff along the lines of that. After my haircut, I got on Facebook just to see what everyone is up to. Friends and family continue to have the same rants about Kaepernick in posts and shared videos, many of them calling him a hypocrite for making millions and talking about oppression of black people in the United States. Many of them also saying that they are going to boycott the NFL.

Here is my question to all of you saying that they are going to boycott. WHERE WERE YOU WHEN PLAYERS WERE CONVICTED OF MURDER, RAPE, BURGLARY, AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE?! So sitting during the National Anthem is worse than that? In the words of my high school coach, "HOW STUPID ARE WE?!?" People also seem to forget that this country was founded by protest and the 1st Amendment gives him the right to do so.

It is a peaceful protest. Have you seen the riots going on recently in North Carolina? I find it pretty funny that kneeling during the national anthem is suddenly worse than destroying a city. My next point, to the people saying "he was raised by rich white parents, why is he protesting this when it has nothing to do with him." This is an insanely stupid statement, why can't he give this issue attention, just because he grew up in a better situation? He can be a voice for someone who may not have that outlet. if you've never experienced something doesn't mean it doesn't happen.