By Hannah Gordon
Advisory Editor
Most people are really sick of hearing about Colin Kaepernick kneeling for the national anthem before every game. I am too. But I’m more sick of seeing a new black face on the news each week pronounced dead by police brutality—except it’s not called police brutality; it’s called “police are further investigating the incident.”
The San Francisco 49ers quarterback has kneeled for the anthem each game, telling NFL Media, “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.”
Last week, he started for the first time this season against the Buffalo Bills. Buffalo, being my hometown, I hoped would either support Kaepernick or at least not be completely indefensible. I was happy on one account and severely disappointed on another.
I smiled when I saw a former classmate featured in The Huffington Post and The Buffalo News for being a part of a protest that stood outside the stadium and kneeled when the anthem was played in solidarity with Kaepernick. According to The Huffington Post, the protest was organized by “Just Resisting”, a group of organizers of people of color, and a local chapter of Showing Up For Racial Justice, which seeks to organize white people to stand up for racial equality.” Despite being taunted and told to shut up by passersby, the group made its point.
Onto the deplorable. Drunk fans dressing dummies in Kaepernick’s jersey and an afro wig to tackle it in the parking lot. Videotaping it to show of their violent source of pride. In one video a man can be heard yelling “tackle the Muslim!” in the background just before a woman takes a running jump at the dummy.
What else would these people like Kaepernick to do? If violent protests take place, black people are again characterized as unruly rioters. If black people silently protest, they are un-American and should lose their jobs. What would you, fellow white people, do if people demeaned and attacked you for your skin color? Answer this: Would you want to switch places with any black American? Yes, you can even pick Obama—because he has definitely never experienced any racism in his lifetime. Can’t answer? Don’t want to? Now you know why Black Lives Matter.
Maybe people have a right to be upset. Maybe what Kaepernick is doing is the opposite of American patriotism. Perhaps the true patriots are drunk and tackling dummies in a parking lot screaming “tackle the Muslim.” If being a true American means being filled with hate and complacency when it comes to injustice, then I am not an American.
If being an American is respecting the flag and people who have died for it to preserve our freedom enough to protest and fight for a nation of equality and love, then count me in.
