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This is the third edition of "The Odyssey Offline" and in this post I am responding to "Colin Kaepernick is Going Too Extreme", found here.
For some reason, this is still newsworthy. However when I find something that is so moronic, I have to respond.
How hard is it to stand for about two minutes to honor the United States of America?
I don't actually believe that anyone thinks it's physically difficult to stand for two minutes (in regards to the context that you are using at least). But to add another question on, is there not a better way to actually honor the country than worshiping a piece of cloth?
Starting on August 26, during an NFL preseason game, Colin Kaepernick the quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers sat during the playing of the National Anthem. After the preseason game concluded, Colin talked to the press. He told the press that he sat during the National Anthem because of the oppression of people of color and the battle with police brutality that has been on going. Kaepernick has also told the press that his protest has nothing to do with the military.
I don't dispute Colin's sentiments regarding police brutality, but my issue with him lies in the fact that he was wearing a Fidel Castro shirt while talking about oppression.
Talk about a severe lack of self-awareness. To be fair though, I do think Kaep should be protesting the military as well.
Colin thinks the best way to voice his opinion is to sit during the National Anthem to get people's attention. Kaepernick used the first amendment to speak out what he thinks needs action. After watching Clemson's head football coach, Dabo Swinney speak, I agree with what Dabo talked about. Swinney talked about how Colin could have done his protest in a better way than what he did. Swinney also talked about how Colin could have held a press conference to voice his opinion. The thing I liked the most about Dabo’s interview was how he talked about how Colin can go join organizations and make a difference that way. One major thing that stuck out to me, Swinney talked about how when Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Michael Jackson and Muhammad Ali spoke out about racism, they did it under love.
While I agree that there is probably a more effective way for Kapernick to protest, you have an incredibly sensationalized headline. I do not think it is "extreme" for Kaepernick to kneel during a song.
I don’t agree with Colin and sit during the playing of the national anthem, as others do. The national anthem is to honor America and the men and women who have sacrificed their lives every day. The men and women are overseas to fight for our freedom and Colin’s rights to play in the Nation Football League (NFL). Myself, and so many others out there have family and friends in the military. Every opportunity I get, I stand and put my hand on my heart to respect those fighting for our country.
Okay this is where I will likely make you mad: the military does not fight for you or "to defend our freedoms". If you genuinely believe that, then I would ask you how in the world our freedoms got into Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen, and other countries that the Obama Administration has bombed? And don't try some righteous appeal that you have family and friends in the military. I have friends and family there too. Frankly, what pisses me off is the fact that a gang of psychopaths (a.k.a. politicians and war profiteers) have sent people like my sister, like my other friends to be in harm's way. It pisses me off that these psychopaths have condemned people to death for no good goddamn reason. That pisses me off more than a pro football kneeling during a fucking song and not worshiping some cloth that Americans seem to have ascribed this holy status to.
Every country stands during their playing of the nation's anthem. When others start to realize when Americans are not standing during their national anthem, the United States does not look to be together as one country.
Kaepernick definitely could have gone a different direction with the protest. Not standing for the National Anthem is disrespectful. Respect the men and women who have served and stand during the National Anthem.
I skipped a couple paragraphs because they were incredibly nebulous and stating nothing apart from exposition that has been beaten to death. In regards to these closing points though, the fact every country stands during the playing of the national anthem is irrelevant. Just because everyone does something does not mean it is right. And how do you define unity? The people should be united against the government. It is the government who commits the murder of innocent people in the Middle East in unconstitutional wars and drone strikes, it is the government who steals from Peter to pay Paul. You should be way more pissed at what the government does in our names than people not standing for the very symbol of oppression that is used.