Why Colin Kaepernick’s National Anthem Protest is Wrong
There are many reasons why I believe Colin Kaepernick’s National Anthem protest is wrong. However, I’d like to start off by saying that I don’t hate him for what he is doing at all. In fact, what he did in a great many ways proved perfectly the point he was trying to make. Proving his point, isn’t the problem. Getting those who need to hear it, is.
I love this country and I would die for this country. However, I would much live for this country. Our country has made a lot of mistakes and she isn’t perfect but I will stand up for the core ideals that she was founded on. Life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness good. All that stuff about black people not being worth the same as a white man I want nothing to do with.
When Colin Kaepernick is protesting the treatment of minorities in this country, I fully support that. Not standing for the National Anthem however is mistake because our current constitution supports the exact same things he believes in. What he should be angry at is not America. Colin Kaepernick should be upset with it’s the politicians, the hate groups and the people that support those politicians and hate groups.
Protesting the National Anthem because you’re upset with race relations in this country is like protesting McDonald’s because you’re upset some dude filmed himself fucking a McChicken sandwich. What Colin Kaepernick should be doing is supporting candidates that have the same ideals that he does. He needs to go out and talk about the issues he believes are important. He needs to learn about the political process. Then he could organize some rallies and stage some proper protests.
What he’s doing is failing. He’s pissing off the very people whose minds he wants to change. Preaching to the choir is never how you change minds. It’s never worked and and it will. It is pointless to preach to those who already agree with you. What you need to do is speak to those who do not agree with you. Those are the minds you need to change.
A moment ago I mentioned a proper protest. What did I mean by that? Glad you asked. A proper protest is a legal action. It should be a place where you can make your point to the world. It’s your time speak to those who don’t agree with you and change their minds. But, if you are conducting a protest by pissing the people off those whose minds your are trying to change, you’ve already failed.
One of the reasons Dr. King’s speeches and protests worked and helped to change an entire country is because he spoke to the people. He treated everyone with respect and his protests were peaceful. The country was forced to take a look at itself in the mirror because of the things he said and did. The way we saw the treatment of the black community began to change. News coverage of white cops beating black men with night sticks could no longer be ignored. White cops turning hoses on peaceful protesters began to sink in to mainstream America that there’s a problem they could no longer deny.
Dr. King’s speeches, protests and rallies never would have been effective if he had not preached love and respect over hate and fear. He was a smart man and he knew that education, politics and love would win the day. This is in complete contrast to what Colin Kaepernick is doing. It’s only assuring that the very minds he wants to open will remain closed. The only thing those people will see is that Colin Kaepernick hates America. That is the exact opposite of what I believe Colin Kaepernick is trying to accomplish and I am sure the exact opposite of what he believes.
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Ok dude, you got this ALL WRONG. He stood against EXACTLY WHO AND WHAT NEEDED TO BE STOOD AGAINST. The people who are getting PISSED OFF ARE THE GODDAM PROBLEM! Any non-apologist who is HONEST will admit that your understated “she’s imperfect” line, denotes and underscored the very nature of the problem: BENIGN NEGLECT! The plight of the oppressed is RARELY IF EVER taken up by those in the “upper eschelon” of society because the CORPORATOCRACY [which is ANTI-MAN no mattter WHAT color you are, but ESPECIALLY “BLACK”, or more correctly stated, MELANATED] that pays them does not agree with their stance; I mean, afterall, they are the ones exacting most of the pain and suffering on underpaid laborers and workers, so I BETTER NOT PISS THEM OFF or I’ll lose my paycheck!
ITS TIME TO END THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC RACIST FEAR EXACTED BY WHITE AMERICA ON the TRUE Indigineous people of this land – THE COPPER COLORED MAN, better known nowadays as the “African-American”. The people you have KILLED AND THEN LIED TO THEIR OFFSPRING ABOUT THEIR TRUE IDENTITY! YES THIS HAPPENED WHETHER YOU BELIEVE IT OR NOT! Your deep belief in the REVISIONIST version of HIStory that you’ve been fed is deepening the divide of the reality of the situation here in Amer Rica or Amexem (pre-columbian or ORIGINAL name of this land that the white man STOLE from indigenous people feeling NO QUALMS WHATSOEVER ABOUT IT). So basically dude, you need a more accurate lesson in HIStory before you start passing all these EMOTIONAL judgments on INDIGENOUS people of color.
Do you even KNOW that there are 4 stanzas to the star spangled banner? And that the third one speaks DIRECTLY of killing slaves who escaped to FIGHT in the war of 1812 with the British to FREE THEMSELVES FROM SLAVERY? This man, adopted by white people, living a life of privilege and ALL, has earned my UNDYING RESPECT for taking PERSONAL RISK, evolving BEYOND all the trappings of WHITE PRIVILEDGE THAT HE HAS BEEN GIVEN, and chose instead, AT GREAT PERSONAL RISK, to SPEAK TRUTH TO POWER, that white U.S. Citizens just DO NOT WANT TO HEAR. And your, and all the NEGATIVE BIGOTS’ very REACTION is a TESTAMENT to the value and IMPORTANCE of what this man has done here.
SO you can save all your VITRIOL for another day, because in the end, the majority of White people are LIVING A BIG WHITE LIE that has been constructed for you by your friendly (to you) U.S. Government. Because its fuck the rest of us IF YOU ARE NOT A WHITE MALE. Results dont lie – they tell the truth EACH AND EVERY TIME. Now Live With It – RUN TELL ‘DAT! (Martin Lawrence, black comedian, stand up reference in case you dont know)
It sounds like you just read the headline to my post and nothing else. I think the way he is protesting isn’t the most effective way for him to do it. The whole point of this article was to talk about the difference between preaching to the choir and preaching to those who need to hear it.
All he is doing with his protest is pissing off the people whose minds he is trying to change. That’s not always the most effective way to protest something. And, as for your bigoted comments about white people leaving a big lie. You’re full of shit. Not all white people think that way. I happen to be a white person, that supports Kaepernick’s right to protest and the ideal behind it. I just don’t believe that the way he has chosen to protest is going to be effective at all. Also, I have supported the Democratic party since 2002. I support Black Lives Matter and the ideals it stands for. I believe racism is alive and well and it needs to be fought against until it no longer exists.
It’s just so sad that we agree on a lot of the issues but you couldn’t get past your own judgment and bigotry to see it. It’s a real shame. It’s your type of ignorance and obvious hate spewing speech is clouding your judgment. You sound like an otherwise intelligent person but your rush to judgment and condemnation is your downfall.