Fans outraged over Kaepernick need perspective
“real leader” by owner Jerry Jones near the end of a checkered career that included arrests for domestic violence and drug possession.
And Kaepernick remained seated during the national anthem. (Gasp!)
Let’s be clear on something. I didn’t agree with his decision to do that and I condemn his stupid decision to wear socks at a 49ers practice that portrayed police officers as pigs. But I do believe that the right to peacefully protest is one of the things that makes America truly great in spite of its many blemishes.
Both of my parents were World War II veterans, so the flag and the anthem mean a lot to me. But how many of us are really thinking about the real meaning of either one while we wait impatiently for some game to start?
I’ll say this much in defense of Kaepernick: He put a lot more thought into his pregame protests against racial inequality and oppression than some Ravens fans put into the storm of angry tweets that followed John Harbaugh’s confirmation Thursday that the team was in contact with him.
Kaepernick is not a “traitor.” Standing up for a controversial cause is not unAmerican. The founding fathers risked the noose to create a system of government that protects the right of every citizen to protest and call for change.
Should the Ravens sign him if Flacco’s back problem turns out to be more time-consuming than currently believed?
If the team determines that he’s the best possible replacement … absolutely.
Harbaugh was right on Friday to cast that potential decision predominantly in football terms.
"It has to do with our need,” Harbaugh said. “Joe's day-to-day. Do we really have to make that move or not? That's the decision that really has to be made. I think there's a lot of layers to it, just from the football standpoint. I'll focus on the football part of it. If there are other layers to it, then I think that's taken into consideration at the appropriate level."
The Ravens have been much more careful about character issues in the wake of the Rice situation and a long string of arrests over the two years following their Super Bowl XLVII win, but that’s not relevant in this case.
Kaepernick isn’t guilty of anything other than offending a lot of people and not playing particularly well the past couple of seasons.
If he can help, the majority of Ravens fans will be happy to have him and the rest can threaten all they want to give up their season tickets, but they’ll still come.
They paid a lot for those PSLs.