Emily Miller
9/7/16
Student Advisory Board Member
Over the past couple of weeks, hearing the name Colin Kaepernick, has surfaced many varying thoughts and feelings. Whether people support him or hate him for his decision, he has definitely made a name for himself in a way that he has never done before. With that being said, lets set all opinions aside, and get the facts straight.
Kaepernick has recently refused to stand for the national anthem due to feelings he has about the wrongdoings and injustices against African Americans and minorities in the U.S. He stated "I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the streets and people getting paid to leave and getting away with murder." This statement, of course, got many people fired up; and rants on Kaepernick continued to be the topic of many conversations, for several days.
Many people took his stance as disrespect to this country and to the men and women fighting over seas. One particular critic, Tomi Lahren, who is seen on a segment- Final Thoughts With Tomi, had a very strong opinion against Kaepernick, and was definitely not afraid to voice it. “See the national anthem and our flag, they are not symbols of black America, white America, brown America, or purple America for that matter,” stated Lahren. “There are patriots of EVERY race that fought and died for this country and we honor the flag and sing the anthem as a reminder.” Other critics against Kaepernick discussed how his statement was ignorant and full of incorrect accusations. Clay Travis, writer and television analyst for FOX, provided us with a very strong statement. “First, who is getting away with murder? That's a strong accusation. Who in particular has committed murder in this country and not been charged with it?,” Travis stated. “If you're going to make this statement then you need to give us particulars that motivate your decision and your beliefs.”
On the other side of the argument, Kaepernick received a lot of support through fans, family, friends, and even the 49ers, as a whole. The 49ers released a statement, shortly after Kaepernick’s refusal to stand. They stated that the national anthem is very important to them, but so is Colin’s right to chose to participate or not. After the controversy hit the media circuit, Kaepernick restated his intentions and feelings about this decision. In a post-game interview, he stated that what he did was ‘taken out of context and spun a different way’. With misunderstandings of what his intentions were, Kaepernick decided to kneel during the national anthem, instead of sitting down, to show respect for those who fight for our country, while still making a statement about what he believes in. This decision received a great amount of support as well. In fact, Keapernick’s jersey became the top seller for the 49ers and no. 2 on NFL.com after this protest happened. President Obama also showed a great amount of support for Kaepernick’s protest. He stated that Kaepernick was only exercising his constitutional right and that his intentions were good.
But regardless of what side anyone takes, Colin Kaepernick seems to be staying true to his beliefs and plan to create change in the U.S. The 49ers did not make any changes to Kaepernick’s roster status and continue to stand behind him and his decision.
9/7/16
Student Advisory Board Member
Over the past couple of weeks, hearing the name Colin Kaepernick, has surfaced many varying thoughts and feelings. Whether people support him or hate him for his decision, he has definitely made a name for himself in a way that he has never done before. With that being said, lets set all opinions aside, and get the facts straight.
Kaepernick has recently refused to stand for the national anthem due to feelings he has about the wrongdoings and injustices against African Americans and minorities in the U.S. He stated "I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the streets and people getting paid to leave and getting away with murder." This statement, of course, got many people fired up; and rants on Kaepernick continued to be the topic of many conversations, for several days.
Many people took his stance as disrespect to this country and to the men and women fighting over seas. One particular critic, Tomi Lahren, who is seen on a segment- Final Thoughts With Tomi, had a very strong opinion against Kaepernick, and was definitely not afraid to voice it. “See the national anthem and our flag, they are not symbols of black America, white America, brown America, or purple America for that matter,” stated Lahren. “There are patriots of EVERY race that fought and died for this country and we honor the flag and sing the anthem as a reminder.” Other critics against Kaepernick discussed how his statement was ignorant and full of incorrect accusations. Clay Travis, writer and television analyst for FOX, provided us with a very strong statement. “First, who is getting away with murder? That's a strong accusation. Who in particular has committed murder in this country and not been charged with it?,” Travis stated. “If you're going to make this statement then you need to give us particulars that motivate your decision and your beliefs.”
On the other side of the argument, Kaepernick received a lot of support through fans, family, friends, and even the 49ers, as a whole. The 49ers released a statement, shortly after Kaepernick’s refusal to stand. They stated that the national anthem is very important to them, but so is Colin’s right to chose to participate or not. After the controversy hit the media circuit, Kaepernick restated his intentions and feelings about this decision. In a post-game interview, he stated that what he did was ‘taken out of context and spun a different way’. With misunderstandings of what his intentions were, Kaepernick decided to kneel during the national anthem, instead of sitting down, to show respect for those who fight for our country, while still making a statement about what he believes in. This decision received a great amount of support as well. In fact, Keapernick’s jersey became the top seller for the 49ers and no. 2 on NFL.com after this protest happened. President Obama also showed a great amount of support for Kaepernick’s protest. He stated that Kaepernick was only exercising his constitutional right and that his intentions were good.
But regardless of what side anyone takes, Colin Kaepernick seems to be staying true to his beliefs and plan to create change in the U.S. The 49ers did not make any changes to Kaepernick’s roster status and continue to stand behind him and his decision.