If you have been following my articles here on Odyssey, you might find it surprising to learn that my profession, in fact the majority of my background, has absolutely nothing to do with food, cooking or any skill in the kitchen whatsoever. In fact, I spend 40+ hours a week as the Marketing & Operations Director for a mid-large size law firm. So I am going to put my marketing & PR hat on for a moment to weigh-in the story everyone can't stop talking about: Colin Kaepernick and whether or not he should be allowed to sit/kneel during the National Anthem.
Now, if reading the last sentence of the pervious paragraph didn't immediately cause you to want to correct my statement, I have already proven my point. Here's why. When asked for the reason he sat during the National Anthem during the NFL's pre-season games Kaepernick replied, "I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. 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."
In essence, Kaepernick was taking a stand, or sit/kneel rather, because he wanted to bring attention to the issues of police brutality and the oppression of people of color.
Before I continue, I would like to clarify a few things. Do I believe that the oppression of minorities and police brutality are issues that need to be discussed and corrected as quickly as possible? Yes. Do I believe all police officers are evil or are out to do harm? No. Do I love this country, our veterans, our flag and everything we stand for as a nation? Without a doubt. Do I believe that Colin Kaepernick has the right, as does every American, to protest and raise awareness for issues that matter to them most? Absolutely, and no one should judge them for it. Do I think Kaepernick is a bad person or that he hates America? Not at all. However, I challenge you, dear reader, to consider, purely from a public relations standpoint, how effective has Kaepernick's chosen method of protest been for furthering discussions around the first two of these questions?
Let's go back to the last sentence of the first paragraph of this article, did it make you want to correct the fact that I was focusing on the wrong issue? Most likely not and that's because the method of protest Kaepernick has chosen has drawn more attention to his patriotism or supposed lack thereof, what civil rights our soldiers did or did not fight for, should he even be allowed to play if he won't stand for the Anthem, reaction videos from various people for and against Kaepernick, etc. The list of issues goes on and on but the focus is almost exclusively on Kaepernkck as a person or the issue of showing respect to the flag and this nation's veterans. The talking points that find themselves below most others on this list are those that Kaepernick intended to bring to light and are, in my opinion, equally if not more important than debating whether or not sitting during the Anthem is an acceptable form of protest.
What I am ultimately saying here is that I do not agree with Kaepernick choosing to sit during the Anthem as a means of raising awareness for issues that he wants to become a voice for. I disagree with his chosen method of raising awareness because if it has done anything it has only detracted from the issues that he was trying to highlight. Not because I take great offense to the fact that he won't stand during the Anthem.
I hope that Kaepernick, or anyone for that matter, is able to find a way to get the focus of this protest/campaign back on message because I do believe that racial equality and accountability of all public servants needs to be discussed expediently. Perhaps what we saw during Monday night's NFL games where players held raised fists, or stood together arms locked, will be a step toward putting this awareness initiative back on track.
