Colin Kaepernick was right.
And just. And caring. And honest. And most of all, courageous.
As America wakes up from another night of angry and violent protests all over the country in the wake of the death of George Floyd — an unarmed black man killed by the knee of a white cop in Minneapolis — people should remember this was exactly the cause Kaepernick was fighting for.
Four years ago, Kap had seen enough. He didn’t want another black or brown brother to die in vain. He wasn’t only willing to call attention to an ugly epidemic that was raging out of control. He was willing to give up all he had worked so hard to attain as a starting NFL quarterback.
With no fanfare, no press release or a single attempt to convince others to join his fight, Kaepernick simply took a knee in protest against police brutality and racial profiling during the national anthem before games.
It was his own silent, peaceful protest.
For it, there was hell to pay. Kap was damned by the NFL. He was shunned by most of his brothers in the league. He was condemned by mostly white fans who couldn’t care less about the welfare of black males in this country after the final buzzer of their favorite sport sounded. He was also cursed by the president of this country.
They were all wrong. Kaepernick was right.
Best of all, Kaepernick was willing to do what most people could never do: put their comfortable lives and livelihood on the line for others who they don’t even know.
Yes, nameless and faceless people would simply assume a black person did something wrong, and had been rightfully killed by the police.
Most would fight with all their might for family and friends. That’s easy and natural to want to protect your own.
It takes a special person to be selfless and fight for the greater good.
Make no mistake about it. This was never about Kaepernick. There was never anything to gain, just lose.
This was about right and wrong. Most know the difference. Even fewer dare to challenge it.
The senseless killings were wrong and had to be stopped. That’s why Kap couldn’t go on with life as usual and was so moved to do something to effect change.
The only people worse than the bad people hurting others are the good people who turn the other way and don’t do anything about it.
But instead of acknowledging Kap’s plea for change, most ridiculed him. Many wished he would go away and hide. After all, he was ruining their play time, their ballgames.
What Kaepernick did in 2016 was heroic, so brave.
How can’t it remind you of what John Carlos and Tommie Smith did in the Olympics in 1968.
They had won their medals in the 200-meter race. It was their shining moment on the podium after all the hard work they put in to achieve such excellence.
But they couldn’t ignore what was happening to all the oppressed people back home who looked like them.
With black-gloved fists raised high, they brought attention to the plight of the black man in America.
That’s what Kaepernick did. Yes, sir.
Shame on the NFL owners who wouldn’t hire an honorable man. Double shame on the weak NFL players union that allowed the owners to blackball Kaepernick out of the league for wanting to do something good.
Yet, this same NFL has no issue employing convicted felons. It’s shameful.
Worse, with the riots and violence escalating, now all these people are in favor of peaceful protests. When Kap did it, he was the enemy of the state.
In 2017, Vice President Mike Pence walked out of an Colts-Niners game in protest because players kneeled. On Friday, via Twitter, Pence was calling for peaceful protests. It’s the ultimate hypocrisy. Back then, the narrative was flipped from police brutality to dishonoring the flag. It was an obvious smokescreen to cloud the real issue at hand.
It’s the same thing now.
The conversation all over America shouldn’t be about rioting. It’s not about looting. It’s not about the violence that has happened during the protesting.
This is about those unarmed black men who have died at the hands of the police. You know, the police who are supposed to protect and serve.
When we look back at this sordid place in history, Kaepernick will be on the right side. He’s been there from the very beginning.
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