Kaepernick is my hero for T-shirt

Colin Kaepernick is my hero. He hasn’t played in the NFL in three years and had an opportunity to work out for scouts and talent evaluators over the weekend.

The league gave him a time, date and location, but rather than abide by those terms, Kaepernick did it his way. He moved the training session, wore a “Kunta Kinte” T-shirt and told the team owners “quit being scared.”

There are people out there saying he was wrong and that he squandered his chance to get back on the field. They’re saying that he must not really want to play, if this is how he’s handling himself. They’re going so far as to say he’s undercutting the movement he spearheaded. Those people all are wrong.

Flat wrong. Completely wrong. Like “history will judge them if they don’t walk this back” wrong.

Kaepernick should be on a roster.

This isn’t about a T-shirt. Kunta Kinte, of course, is the slave from “Roots,” famous in popular culture for refusing to renounce his African name even as he was being brutalized and tortured.

Kaepernick certainly knew that by wearing that shirt, he was making absolutely clear who he is and what he’s about. He’s not taking their money if it comes with strings attached.

If only more people had the courage to make such a choice.

That T-shirt was for you if you’ve ever put up with a loudmouth boss or a co-worker who steals credit for your ideas.

It was for you if you’ve ever been passed over for a deserved promotion in favor of someone who came up through traditional ranks that were off limits because of your race, religion, gender or sexual preference.

It was for you if you ever stayed with a company that allowed those sorts of things to happen because you didn’t have the financial means to walk away. This is not about ability. Kaepernick is a Super Bowl-caliber player. If guys like Andy Dalton, Trevor Siemian and Brian Hoyer are starting quarterbacks then certainly Kaepernick deserves a roster spot. The workout proved that he’s still in shape and still ready to go.

This isn’t about “fit.”

Players with Kaepernick’s skillset are dominating the NFL right now. The Seahawks, Ravens, Texans, Chiefs, Packers, Cowboys, Panthers and Cardinals all could use Kaepernick, if only as an insurance player in case they lose a starter for an extended period.

This isn’t about “patriotism.”

I know not what course others may take, but Founding Father Patrick Henry said give him liberty or give him death. Kaepernick is blazing in the same spirit with his career and financial livelihood on the line.

This isn’t about any of that sideshow nonsense.

This is about police brutality. This is about unnecessarily harsh police tactics in minority communities.

This is about those so-called bad apples who pull guns on parents when their little girl walks out of a dollar store with a Barbie.

This is about a police officer zooming up behind a driver, pulling her over for failure to signal when she changes lanes to get out of his way and then arresting her for smoking a cigarette.

This is about Mike Brown left dead in the street over a pack of cheap cigars.

This is about minor crimes and confrontations ending in funerals. Kaepernick is against it.

Other players should be against it. NFL team owners should be against it.

NFL investors should be against it. NFL advertisers should be against it. NFL fans should be against it. Police officers should be against it. Police unions should be against it. Americans should be against it. Patriots should be against it.

You should be against it.

I AM against it.

And that’s the only thing we should be talking about.

Colin Kaepernick is my hero.