Colin Kaepernick: Courageous or Cowardly?
September 9, 2016
When Colin Kaepernick knelt down on one knee before the 49ers played the Green Bay Packers on August 26th, he was aware of the backlash he would receive. Not standing for your nation’s anthem is viewed by some as the highest form of disrespect to your country.
Former president John F Kennedy once said “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” Whether you agree with him or not, Kaepernick feels as if he can do something for his country. His purpose is to shine awareness onto the fact that people of color are oppressed in this country.
In his own words, Kaepernick said, I am not looking for approval. I have to stand up for people that are oppressed. — Colin Kaepernick
The two words that critics have used most to describe Kaepernick’s actions is disrespectful and unpatriotic. Those people, to put it bluntly, are very wrong.
Critics of Kaepernick believe his actions are disrespectful to those who fight for our country overseas. To them, not standing for our anthem means they do not appreciate the sacrifice that our soldiers make. What critics do not take into account, however, is what our military fights for. Our country fights for democracy, so that we can live freely and be able our natural rights recognized. They fight so that people who are determined to make a change in this country, like Kaepernick, are able to do so. They fight so that Kaepernick can have the right to not stand for an anthem he does not feel is truthful.
Freedom of speech is our First Amendment right, and freedom of speech includes the right to not speak at all. Kaepernick not standing and singing our anthem is not unpatriotic because being able to have choices is what this country is based on.
President Barack Obama stated it simply when he said , “Kaepernick is exercising his constitutional right.”
Another reason Kaepernick is within his rights is that his words, or lack thereof, are supported by real actions that are generating change.
“I am planning to take it a step further,” explained Kaepernick. “I’m currently working with organizations to be involved, and making sure I’m actively in these communities, as well as donating the first million dollars I make this year to different organizations to help these communities and help these people.”
Lastly, the reason, almost more than anything why Kaepernick should be supported in what he is doing is because as a public figure, he actually has the ability to make a change. Say what you want about his protests, but what he has done has sparked conversation everywhere in the country. Our president, and a variety of legendary athletes including Jim Brown, soccer player Megan Rapinoe, and others have all commented on the issue. His jersey sales are up,and his daily following is up 35.394 percent since his first protest according to social media tracking company Hookit. The bottom line is that whether they agree with him or not, people are listening to what Colin Kaepernick is saying, and words have the potential to be very powerful, just ask Wayne Hills student and football fanatic Josh Kurzer.
“Well at first I didn’t believe Kaepernick was right to sit for the anthem,” said Josh, “but after a couple weeks I can say he has clearly affected change and awareness of race issues in America. For that reason and purpose, his protest has been successful.”
Your thoughts are your own, but if you think Colin Kaepernick is a coward for protesting our anthem, you may want to think again.
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