San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick sent social media in a firestorm Saturday morning when it became headline news that he refused to stand during the National Anthem prior to the teas preseason game Friday night.
In a statement that followed, Kaepernick explained his actions with, “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.”
Kaepernick went from a relatively liked player to arguably the leagues if not sports’ most hated, being shunned by many fans who feel as if he disrespected the country he and they live in.
The QB won’t be fined for his actions, as the NFL noted though it is encouraged, it is not required for a player to stand during the anthem. Kapernick was fined for a previous offensive though, one that some may look as quite hypocritical in light of the comment from Saturday.
After a 28-20 loss against the Chicago Bears on Sept. 14 of 2015, Kapernick was fined $11,00 by the NFL for using a racial slur, “f***ing n***a/er” to be specific.
Kaepernick was flagged on the play for using the language by ref Laird Hayes, knocking the 49ers back 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct.
There had been heavy debate on two issues relating to this situation, whether or not players should be able to be fined for language used on the playing field, and whether the “n word” shouldn’t be used by members of the white community while blacks see a different meaning to the word while using it amongst each other.
Do you think Kapernick is in a position to make the comment he recently made with this being a relevant blemish in is history? Feel free to leave a comment in the comment section below with your opinion.
