As you should know Colin Kaepernick is a professional football player who is in the quarterback position for the San Francisco 49ers. He is protesting police brutality in the United States by taking a knee during the singing of the National Anthem. There are many who are divided on this issue. In the beginning, fans were shouting about his lack of Patriotism, some even burned his football jersey. Those football jersey cost a grip. I do not know if I would burn something that I paid for. Sell it, maybe but destroy it, I don’t think so. Others say, it’s his constitutional right to protest. Many thought that he would get fined by the National Football League as derelict of duty or something to that effect. Come to find out there is nothing in the National Football League that says he has to stand for the National Anthem. The first time he did it he actually sat through it. Going forward, he has been taking a knee. We are a couple of weeks into the Football season and the peaceful protest that airs on National Television each week continues. Other players are beginning to join in. Yep, this is becoming a thing now.
Players from a variety of teams are taking a knee. Arian Foster from the Miami Dolphin. He holds the running back position on that team. Martellus Bennett from the New England Patriot is participating and he holds the tight end position on his team. Brandon Marshall is a wide receiver for the New York Jets. That just happens to be my team. No correlation, I’m just saying. Let’s go Jets! This is just to name a few who have done it more than one game. Although, Colin Kaepernick has been protesting even in the preseason. The regular season just started two weeks ago. Now here is Colin’s argument and this is my interpretation of his view, police brutality seems to be a fluid conversation that is showing no results in ceasing to exist. How is one free in the home of the brave if it only applies to people who are not of color? In support of what Colin is doing I have seen Soccer players take a knee as well as college kids taking a knee. Many with repercussions that were later reversed because it is everyone right as a citizen or dare I say who lives in the United States to protest when they believe an injustice has occurred against them or other citizens. Now my thing is this, are the other players acting in solidarity because they believe in what Colin Kaepernick is doing or is there another reason. I kind of believe it is a double-edge sword and you might not agree with me. I am going to let you in on my theory.
When Colin Kaepernick began protesting during the preseason, there was outrage and threats being hurled at him. The League was looking for a reason to end his behavior and then something happened that no one expected. Colin Kaepernick’s Football Jersey sales became the number one Jersey in all of the National Football League. The League was making a little bit of change off the licensing of the Jersey. The support for Colin Kaepernick’s protest was bringing in money. After which, the league actually spoke up in support of his protest. As long as he was not in violation of any league rules, they took a backseat and stayed out of the fray. Once, the Jerseys started selling like hotcakes at the IHOP then they chime and to state that it is Colin’s right to protest as it does not interfere with his ability to perform. Could the players from other teams have come around to see things Colin’s way or could it be a ploy to get their Jerseys to fly off the shelves? I know that sounds bad but some things just make you go hmmm. This is just food for thought.
Welcome back to Thoughts in the Car. I think that Colin Kaepernick’s protest is positive. It keeps the issue of senseless killings top of minds for millions of National Football League fans. They tune in to him and agree him with each and every week. Hopefully, the San Francisco forty-niners will get better and make it to the post season. He is only one man but so was Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. Eventually, many people would follow them and radical changes happened. Remember, put your money where your mouth is when you don’t like the outcome of the way things are because money talks and the B.S. walks. Colin Kaepernick, I salute you.