Colin Kaepernick's protest

[Deleted]

It is being covered in my circle of friends but we are big football lovers.

In this area the general consensus is that he is doing it for personal attention because of not being a starter and he is just masking it with the BLM movement.

I still need to do my HW before I can say what I think about it.

[Deleted]

One of my friends posted this elsewhere and it kinda sums up my feelings. He can do as he thinks is best, but I will continue to stand for the pledge and the anthem.

"I stand for our anthem and I would stand for a foreign anthem as well. I consider it a sign of respect.

It is not necessarily a declaration of fealty, blind obedience or agreement with every single policy of the country I live in. I am comfortable with that. He's apparently not.

And the fact that he doesn't have to stand and he won't be jailed for it, is one of the reasons that I personally *am* willing to stand."

[Deleted]

I've only seen criticism on FB from military members, which I kind of get. But the military doesn't own the National Anthem. Just because it is their life's work to defend our country and its citizens using their special skills and tools, it isn't any less valid to do what Kaepernick is doing.

I think Kaepernick is, in his own way, trying to defend our country and its citizens using his own unique set of skills and tools. There needs to be room in this country to get pissed off at our country's policy and procedures without it being taken as a personal attack.

[Deleted]

[abvintage]

I'm very hmmmm about it.

I see both points of view on it. Does black violence need to be fixed? YES! Does he seem like the most appropriate advocate for them (being a fairly privileged individual in a category of celebrity that has been criticized for getting special favors from law enforcement and the judicial system)? NOT EXACTLY

[frankenboom]

It's definitely getting attention here - I saw it first on NBC Nightly News (which is national, obviously) but I also saw it on the Today Show and I think our local news too.

My feelings are mostly mixed. On a personal level, I stand for the pledge and the National Anthem. However it's completely his right not to stand and I can, in general, support someone who is willing to take a stand for what they believe in. First Amendment and all of that.

Essentially, I support his right to sit, and I also understand why people are upset about it.

[abvintage]

Aug 29, 2016 14:28:21 GMT -5 @bruxannie said:

See I see this point too. IDK it's all just kind of different. 

[Deleted]

Aug 29, 2016 14:29:38 GMT -5 abvintage said:

I'm very hmmmm about it.

I see both points of view on it. Does black violence need to be fixed? YES! Does he seem like the most appropriate advocate for them (being a fairly privileged individual in a category of celebrity that has been criticized for getting special favors from law enforcement and the judicial system)? NOT EXACTLY

But to this point, history tells me that very little changes for oppressed people unless people of greater means sit, listen to the oppressed, and then go back to their lofty positions and champion the causes that can make a difference.

[Deleted]

Aug 29, 2016 14:32:34 GMT -5 @juliagulia said:

Aug 29, 2016 14:29:38 GMT -5 abvintage said:

I'm very hmmmm about it.

I see both points of view on it. Does black violence need to be fixed? YES! Does he seem like the most appropriate advocate for them (being a fairly privileged individual in a category of celebrity that has been criticized for getting special favors from law enforcement and the judicial system)? NOT EXACTLY

I think the fact that he is a black guy that grew up with white privilege makes him a very interesting spokesperson for this cause.

But of course, people who are against him doing this are tearing apart that aspect. Since he's half white and raised by white parents apparently he can't have an opinion on BLM according to some.

white or black?

[abvintage]

Aug 29, 2016 14:32:34 GMT -5 @juliagulia said:

Aug 29, 2016 14:29:38 GMT -5 abvintage said:

I'm very hmmmm about it.

I see both points of view on it. Does black violence need to be fixed? YES! Does he seem like the most appropriate advocate for them (being a fairly privileged individual in a category of celebrity that has been criticized for getting special favors from law enforcement and the judicial system)? NOT EXACTLY

I think the fact that he is a black guy that grew up with white privilege makes him a very interesting spokesperson for this cause.

But of course, people who are against him doing this are tearing apart that aspect. Since he's half white and raised by white parents apparently he can't have an opinion on BLM according to some.

Yeah that I don't see why that is an issue. I'm sure the non-black parents of black children care very deeply about this issue so I would think they are more involved in the issue than even some black people themselves.

[McBenny]

It is his right to do whatever he chooses to as his form of self expression. He is not hurting anyone. I have seen some rants and stuff and find them over the top.

[Deleted]

From a friend's FB:

"the insane racism that is pouring out of people towards him tonight is the most clear confirmation that he's simply right about the problem we face, and that the actual thing to be mad about is racism and white supremacy."

[seadragon2013]

I'm not the biggest Kaepernick fan for other reasons but I'm fine with his protest. I think it's his right as an American.

[JoeLies]

I'm not sure his form of protest is necessarily going to get the *right* kind of reaction because the conversation isn't going in what I assume is his desired direction. People are talking about his playing. People are pitting loyalty to the military vs. BLM. Whether fair or not, his message is muddied and distracting from a truly important concern.

But I do have a massive issue with those that say athletes shouldn't speak out in general. People are saying it now about CK and they've been saying it all summer as collegiate and professional basketball players publicly supported BLM. But athletes were using their high profiles to protest against social and racial injustice 50 years ago - think Muhammad Ali, the 1965 AFL all star players, Edwards' Olympic boycott efforts. And for the most part I'd say history has been on their side.

I'm certainly keeping my eye on this one and ignoring the reaction on social media as much as possible. Because I'm sick of thinking everyone is so damn dumb.

[Deleted]

Aug 29, 2016 14:32:34 GMT -5 @juliagulia said:

Aug 29, 2016 14:29:38 GMT -5 abvintage said:

I'm very hmmmm about it.

I see both points of view on it. Does black violence need to be fixed? YES! Does he seem like the most appropriate advocate for them (being a fairly privileged individual in a category of celebrity that has been criticized for getting special favors from law enforcement and the judicial system)? NOT EXACTLY

I think the fact that he is a black guy that grew up with white privilege makes him a very interesting spokesperson for this cause.

But of course, people who are against him doing this are tearing apart that aspect. Since he's half white and raised by white parents apparently he can't have an opinion on BLM according to some.

Racist people are not going to stop and check your background to see who raised you or how wealthy you are before profiling you.

I find the argument that he was raised by white parents and is wealthy means he can't relate to the BLM or represent them to be irrelevant - as shown in this video.

youtu.be/3P9-BjYxTu8

[McBenny]

I just feel that some white people relish with glee when a person of color does something like this cause it then opens the door for them to say what they really want to and they have an excuse for it.

[frankenboom]

Aug 29, 2016 14:48:08 GMT -5 McBenny said:

I just feel that some white people relish with glee when a person of color does something like this cause it then opens the door for them to say what they really want to and they have an excuse for it.

I think you are 100% right.

[McBenny]

I could also be prejudiced against some white people.

[risscaboobs]

Aug 29, 2016 14:30:24 GMT -5 frankenboom said:

It's definitely getting attention here - I saw it first on NBC Nightly News (which is national, obviously) but I also saw it on the Today Show and I think our local news too.

My feelings are mostly mixed. On a personal level, I stand for the pledge and the National Anthem. However it's completely his right not to stand and I can, in general, support someone who is willing to take a stand for what they believe in. First Amendment and all of that.

Essentially, I support his right to sit, and I also understand why people are upset about it.

I'm +1 to all of this.

[claud]

I think his protest and the response to it shows how much people want to shut down any form of protest, particularly by BLM. There is no acceptable protest.

BLM protests a marathon finish line? "That's not fair to the people who want to get their best time in a marathon! Think of the runners!"

Peaceful protest in Dallas interrupted by one person tragically murdering cops? "If BLM hadn't been protesting, this wouldn't have happened."

Shutting down a freeway by walking across it? "What if people were trying to get to a hospital?"

Any form of riots "Violence is never the answer."

You don't get any more peaceful of a protest than sitting down during a song, and even that has come under intense fire.

[kbw12]

frankenboom said my thoughts better than I could put them into words.

[seadragon2013]

claud, I think you hit the nail on the head. For a substantial portion of the country, there is no acceptable way for BLM to protest.

[cheshie6]

Aug 29, 2016 15:00:02 GMT -5 @jboogie said:

I got into a big FB fight about this yesterday. It annoys me that people get so reflexively worked up about this and that they don't understand how a black person could be a little fed up with how things are going. I also get pretty pissed whenever someone tries to tell a descendant of a slave to self-deport.

I never understood this.  Why don't we say the same to Neo-nazis or other white supremacists?  If you don't like the cultural make-up of this melting pot of a nation, self-deport.  

[Deleted]

So I just read a little more, it appears that he has been vocal about BLM for awhile. If this is what he has to do to get his voice heard then so be it. No one is harmed and everyone's talking.

[bunnyfungo]

Well, I think the requirement to stand during the anthem with your hand over your heart is weird on its own. But I'm the least patriotic person ever. So, I clearly give no fucks if someone doesn't want to stand.

[bunnyfungo]

Omg. My sister just posted on FB in defense of CK. Some guy is commenting that he's raising a black son (parents are white) and he doesn't believe in racism. I...wow.

[bunnyfungo]

Aug 29, 2016 17:32:49 GMT -5 @juliagulia said:

Aug 29, 2016 17:27:11 GMT -5 bunnyfungo said:

Omg. My sister just posted on FB in defense of CK. Some guy is commenting that he's raising a black son (parents are white) and he doesn't believe in racism. I...wow.

Oh hell. I have some required reading for that dude.

My sister is going to town on him. I love her so.

[McBenny]

I think people need to step back and shut the fuck up sometimes and stop feeling they have the right to dictate how other people should feel an how they should go about expressing frustration barring criminal acts of course.

It is not the job of the oppressed to make the spectator comfortable.

Lol at the majority in telling someone hat they can and cannot do. You're proving the point right there. A black man making a peaceful protest is so threatening to some, lol.

[frankenboom]

It's also super ironic (but not cause let's be honest) that the majority of the people shitting on CK for exercising his 1st Amendment rights are the ones who cling to and swear on their 2nd Amendment.

[McBenny]

If only skimmed this thread but just cause he was raised with money does not mean he had the benefit of white privilege!!!!

Do we have to go throw go this again?

This is like when white people scream out, "but j grew up poor!" It's not about socioeconomic background boo. It's your white skin affords you to be handled and approached differently and given the benefit of the doubt.

OMG