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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsI was on board with Kaepernick until....
I was on board with Kaepernick until....
By Clay Cane
NFL's Kaepernick sits in protest during national anthem
Colin Kaepernick sparked a media firestorm on August 26 when he refused to stand for the national anthem before a preseason game against the Green Bay Packers.
The San Francisco 49ers quarterback explained in an interview, "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 street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder." I immediately applauded Kaepernick for using the art of protest to spark a national dialogue. People are dying. We are in the eye of a cultural crisis in America.
. . . .
But here is where Kaepernick lost me: His remarks to the press segued into a rant of the type you hear from the conservative right. He said: "I mean, you have Hillary who's called black teens or black kids super predators. You have Donald Trump who's openly racist. I mean, we have a presidential candidate [Hillary Clinton] who's deleted emails and done things illegally and is a presidential candidate. That doesn't make sense to me, because if that was any other person, you'd be in prison."
To lump Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump in the same category is wrong, offensive and uninformed. Trump isn't even in the same category as former President George W. Bush or former Vice President Dick Cheney. Donald Trump isn't a Republican or even a conservative. He's a rich, famous alleged businessman who has money to burn and a disturbing case of narcissism.
Kaepernick referenced her 1996 comment "super predators." Sadly, he quoted her as falsely as Donald Trump did. She didn't specifically call black teens or black kids super predators. She was referencing gang culture, but many interpreted the term as racially coded language. I agree, and I despised the term. Nonetheless, Clinton apologized for the words she used 20 years ago that didn't receive mainstream press until she was running for President. Trump won't even directly apologize for an insulting or bigoted comment he made a week ago.
. . . .
http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/30/opinions/where-kaepernick-lost-me-cane/
cyberswede
(26,117 posts)Agree or disagree, he has every right to voice his opinion.
msongs
(67,406 posts)Major Nikon
(36,827 posts)Some are just more relevant than others
niyad
(113,315 posts)sitting out the anthem. and the rest of us have every right to voice our opinions of his opinions.
Wounded Bear
(58,656 posts)I defend his right to sit out the national anthem, and I understand and empathize with his reasons. But it doesn't surprise me that he has Republican opinions, most millionaires do.
revbones
(3,660 posts)KMOD
(7,906 posts)But I'm sure he's not stupid enough to not vote for Hillary.
You'd have to be a really idiot to do that.
Skittles
(153,160 posts)Egnever
(21,506 posts)his ramblings are pure social media
Egnever
(21,506 posts)"I mean, you have Hillary who's called black teens or black kids super predators. You have Donald Trump who's openly racist. I mean, we have a presidential candidate who's deleted emails and done things illegally and is a presidential candidate. That doesn't make sense to me, because if that was any other person, you'd be in prison."
Skittles
(153,160 posts)he has issues that have nothing to do with the police OR Hillary
Egnever
(21,506 posts)maxsolomon
(33,345 posts)kaepernick IS an idiot.
if he's holding out standing for the anthem until America stops being racist, he'll never stand for it again. which is fine with me - i could give a fuck about that song, too.
Skittles
(153,160 posts)he is a complete phony
cornball 24
(1,475 posts)cwydro
(51,308 posts)Everything he says sounds like it came right off Facebook or Twitter.
Wonder if he's even registered to vote.
Wounded Bear
(58,656 posts)when you sign multi-million dollar contracts, you tend to favor the party that "protects" you from Democratic taxation policies.
Jim Beard
(2,535 posts)Read his post a long time ago on Time message boards.
Wounded Bear
(58,656 posts)I never posted on a Time board.
Initech
(100,076 posts)Where were they when Bush and Cheney deleted 33 MILLION e-mails that actually did contain intelligence that could have prevented the Iraq War from happening? Where the fuck were they??? The hypocrisy reeks!!
But it's virtually the entire media establishment that perpetuates the false equivalence between the two parties.
Marr
(20,317 posts)lol.
demmiblue
(36,854 posts)It was/is interesting to see how some turned on him almost instantly.
Catherine Vincent
(34,490 posts)I don't know this player's history on politics, but I'm thinking he threw that Hillary remark in there to ease some of the scorn he knew he would receive from conservative republicans out there.
niyad
(113,315 posts)underpants
(182,807 posts)niyad
(113,315 posts)Throd
(7,208 posts)DU can turn tighter than a Porsche.
TSIAS
(14,689 posts)I guess liberals now prefer the likes of Henry Kissinger to Colin Kaepernick.
pintobean
(18,101 posts)TSIAS
(14,689 posts)I wouldn't worry, CA won't be close.