USA TODAY International Edition
WHAT IS RIGHT WITH AMERICA
It’s why Kaepernick must keep kneeling
Fifteen years ago, I was a 23- year- old rookie, an undrafted free agent with the San Francisco 49ers, about to play my very first game in the NFL. When the national anthem began, I thought about how amazing it was that I was even there. I was a kid from a small town in Idaho, wearing the uniform of my dad’s favorite team, standing tall, holding my hand over my heart, thankful that I lived in a country where I could do this for a living.
Every time the anthem played over the six seasons of my NFL career, it felt special. So my heart sank when I first heard Colin Kaepernick chose not to stand during the national anthem of a 49ers preseason game.
I was dismayed because I knew, immediately, his decision would subject him to a wave of hate, cynicism and ridiculous scrutiny from the public. The anthem has always been special to me, but I’ve also come to understand — just by reading, talking and listening to people who grew up differently than I did — that American history is far more complicated than we acknowledge. It doesn’t belong to any one group of people. Ideals, not symbols, are the fabric of our nation. GOOD COPS, BAD COPS
Kaepernick has been called unpatriotic. He has been asked, not politely, to leave the country. The comments have been disgusting and disappointing. Most cast him as ungrateful or disingenuous. They saw and heard a black man with a $ 114 million, six- year contract taking a stand for other people of color who are being oppressed in a country that has given him everything, a guy who is protected by local police speaking out against police brutality.
The people who think Kaepernick is arguing he has been oppressed haven’t bothered to listen. He has said that he doesn’t feel oppressed. Rather, he is taking a stand for the millions of black and brown people who are under attack and who don’t have a voice or a platform to be heard.
It’s discouraging that our society’s expectation is if you’re rich, you should enjoy your wealth and not care if people who look like you are being denied their constitutional rights. Label
The most un- American element in this entire controversy is the idea that Kaepernick should keep his grievances to himself.
Kaepernick has never said that he does not respect police officers or their difficult job. He simply wants the tiny percentage of bad cops to be held accountable. The good officers need to speak up and call out the bad ones.
Many people seem to believe that not standing for our national anthem shows a lack of character or patriotism. But this is the important difference between nationalism and patriotism. The U. S. military doesn’t fight for us so people will rigidly stand during the national anthem. They fight so we’ll always have the choice. Having choice is the most American act of all.
Because of Kaepernick’s protest, many are learning that the Star- Spangled Banner was written by a slave owner who, in the third verse, celebrated the death of slaves who were trying to fight for their freedom. America is a wonderful story, but it’s also a messy story, and it won’t unravel if we acknowledge our sins.
Kaepernick and other pro athletes are role models. I wouldn’t hesitate to use Kaepernick as an example to my children that it is right to stand up. If you see injustice in the world, don’t hide from it. Don’t cloak yourself in symbols. Speak. Strive to build a more perfect union. With bullying at near epidemic levels in our schools, we need more kids who have courage.
People have tried to silence and discredit him, but Kaeper- nick is winning this debate.
Even if he’s out of the NFL next year, we’re talking about these issues on a national stage. The 49ers have pledged $ 1 million to organizations in the Bay Area that promote racial and economic equality. Many 49ers — and players across the league — have been supportive. They are standing with a guy who is risking his career, his livelihood and his reputation. A PROUD AMERICAN
In America, we applaud courage like that. We celebrate our freedoms and the people who have the strength to exercise them, especially when they are speaking up for those without a voice.
When Muhammad Ali stood up in 1967 to refuse to be drafted, he was called a coward and an ungrateful traitor. He sacrificed the prime of his career for his convictions. Over time, people grew to admire his courage. When Ali died this year, it was interesting to see how many people lamented: Remember when athletes weren’t afraid to speak out, to stand for something?
Kaepernick should continue to kneel until we make real progress toward acknowledging that, despite our best intentions, America is falling short on one of our founding principles of liberty and justice for all people.
As a fellow football player, I would have been proud to call Colin Kaepernick a teammate. Now I’m equally proud to call him a fellow American.