Colin Kaepernick got on bended knee last season during the National Anthem in order to bring awareness to police brutality and racial inequality in this country; and it did. Whether you agreed with his tactics, or even his opinion on the issue, when you saw him, the thought of black boys and young, black men dying during confrontations with police entered your mind.
Some of you may have thought he was a fool and those dead people deserved it. They should have kept both hands on the steering wheel rather than reaching for their wallet to get their license; they should not have been playing in a playground with a toy gun; they should not have walked to the store to get snacks at halftime in an apartment complex where the “neighborhood watch” is hyper vigilant and doesn’t know you. They should not have run from the police – they should have known they would get shot in the back. They should not have been acting unlawfully by selling single cigarettes in a community that was targeted by cigarette manufacturers, then once addicted, have that community become victims of excessive sin-taxes by government so that a 20 pack of cigarettes is cost-prohibitive. They should have all known that their actions would cost them their lives.
For others, it shows the inherent racism that has plagued our country.
But to Trump, who argues that taking a knee is tantamount to treason, Kaepernick and dead, black, male youth are nothing more than a prop – a side show – anything to keep your eyes away from the events that Trump is failing miserably at. Trump claims to revere the military, but dodged the draft four times, finally finding the excuse of “bone spurs” to prevent him from serving; yet he can’t remember which foot it was. He cited not catching a venereal disease in the ‘60s and ‘70s as his own, personal Vietnam. Trump has steadily disrespected servicemen. Aside from his attacks on John McCain, he attacked the Khan family for the better part of three months last year. In October of last year, he claimed military suicides happen to service members who “can't handle it.” This year, on Memorial Day, he accepted a Purple Heart from a veteran by saying, “I always wanted to get the Purple Heart. This was much easier.”
Kaepernick understands what “taking a knee” or genuflecting means. In football, as a quarterback, “taking a knee” is to protect what you have. Either protect your lead, or eliminate the possibility of falling further behind. Figuratively, this is something we all should be doing in light of the attempts at voter suppression, the attacks on certain religions, and re-instituting mandatory sentencing and the re-implementation of the death penalty, both of which affect minorities disproportionately. We should all want to “take a knee” to protect the advancements towards equality that we have already attained.
Off the grid iron, genuflecting is the highest form of reverence you can give, and one could make the argument that is what Colin Kaepernick was doing. Perhaps Kaepernick was showing reverence to the ideals of America, even if those ideals are not lived up to by those we trust to ensure they are. Kaepernick’s kneeling could be seen as showing reverence for “a more perfect union” which we all strive to attain, and that his display forces us to acknowledge that we are not doing as good as we should be doing.
Kaepernick respects the military: just ask former Seattle Seahawks player and former Green Beret Nate Boyer. He had a discussion with Colin and encouraged Kaepernick to make the decision to kneel rather than sit (as he did for the first three games of last season). Kneeling shows hope, respect and the will to desire for more. Kaepernick could very well have been the player who showed the most respect for the flag and for the ideals of America while he was kneeling on the field.
And those who were offended have to look at themselves and ask why? Why are you so bothered that a black man is kneeling to protect the gains America has made, and showing respect for, and bringing attention to, the waning ideals of America? Does your reaction to Kaepernick kneeling say more about him, or more about you and your lack of compassion, your lack of understanding and your inability or unwillingness to be your Brother’s Keeper?
Kaepernick is a better quarterback than at least 10 current starters and 20 current back-ups, yet he's not playing. Conversely, Tim Tebow, who genuflected after every score DURING THE GAME to offer praise and bring attention to his lord and savior, Jesus Christ, was never chastised for exercising his First Amendment freedom, played for 2 teams (with an average QB rating of 43, Kaepernick's average is over 60)). Tebow was then given chances with both the Pats and the Eagles. Then once he couldn't make it, he switched sports and was given the opportunity to play in the Mets Organization and is with the Columbus Fireflies! It's not about race?