Colin Kaepernick has recently used his fame as 49ers quarterback to take a stand… or sit... against racial injustice in this country. He has announced that in protest of racial inequality in the United States, he will not be standing for the National Anthem before his football games, igniting a firestorm of protests against his actions.

"I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color," Kaepernick said.

People are furious at his perceived show of disrespect for U.S. troops, and the country. Kaepernick is being told to “leave” the United States if things are “so bad here.” He is being criticized for disrespecting troops, with people saying things like “People have died for your right to stand and sing our National Anthem, how dare you not do it?!” Actually, our troops have made their great sacrifices for his right to choose, and for his right to protest.

Clearly, given the strong reaction to his actions, sitting during the National Anthem is a serious offense in this country. But this should be a major red (and white and blue) flag, speaking to the seriousness of our country’s issues and the seriousness of the people who are looking to right the wrongs that have taken place here. Many celebrities have used their platforms to speak their minds and spark a conversation, especially regarding that Black Lives Matter movement. Kaepernick’s actions are no different.

He has been very clear that this was not an act of disrespect towards the military but opponents to his actions insist this is his most serious offense. But the fact is that the National Anthem is more than a salute to the military and it means something different to each one of our citizens. For many, the song is a symbol for love of country, and pride in our past, present and future. Looking at it this way, it’s not hard to understand Kaepernick’s actions.Our country is not a place of equality and people of color are, and have always been, the victims of this inequality. And they have been fighting. We have all been fighting for almost 100 years now. One of the civil rights movement’s most historic leaders, Martin Luther King Jr. encouraged nonviolent persistence at equality, and that is exactly what Kaepernick is doing. Kaepernick’s silence and protest is a symbol of patriotism, just like the National Anthem. There is a reason we have freedom of speech in this country and people have been using it for hundreds of years to bring change and help us live up to the country we can be. Issues need to be talked about in order to begin the process of change and it appears Kaepernick thinks silence is the best way to start that conversation. The issues that people have with his actions only highlight the divide in our country, similar to the perceived “black v. police” battle that threatened to take hold a couple of months ago. These fights have come about because of misunderstanding, for example, thinking Kaepernick is anti-military or thinking the Black Lives Matter movement is anti-police. In order to bring about real change we need to move past our differences, to a place of understanding. We need to listen to each other, rather than getting ready for a fight at the first whiff of a contradicting opinion. We need to keep pushing, keep working and keep sitting, if necessary, until our country is the free and equal place where all of our citizens can sing our National Anthem with true pride and belonging.