Certainly almost every American knows by now of the recent Colin Kaepernick controversy. Kaepernick, a quarterback for the NFL's San Francisco 49ers, stirred one of the biggest controversies of 2016 last month by refusing to stand during the national anthem before a preseason game in protest of the injustices that African-Americans face daily in the United States. He continued to do this in subsequent games, with the only difference being that he was now kneeling instead of standing.
In the days and weeks since, Americans of all walks of life have lent their own opinions to the topic. Several people have come out in support of Kaepernick, saying that he is bringing light to crucial issues that desperately need to be addressed by society at large in today's world. Several other NFL players, as well as United States women's soccer team star Megan Rapinoe have joined him in his protest with their own variations. Those on the opposite end seem to be much more vehement and extreme in their responses, with some calling the former University of Nevada star "un-American" and "a traitor" for not standing for the anthem, which, in their view, disrespects the servicemen and women who fight for this country every day.
And then there are those who are in the center of this fiercely-debated issue, such as myself. I will now interject myself into the discussion with my own hot take.
I was born and raised in this great nation, and I will gladly tell the whole world how proud I feel and how blessed I am every single day to be able to say that. My parents immigrated from Africa for a chance, for a crack at achieving the American Dream. Therefore, out of sheer gratitude of being able to say that I was the first American-born member of my family, I always stand for the Star-Spangled Banner and put my hand over the heart through its duration.
However, I do respect the message that Kaepernick and others are trying to send, even if I wouldn't necessarily perform the method of protest myself. Their argument holds a lot of merit in the present-day world, particularly considering all the police brutality on unarmed African-Americans in the past four or five years alone. There are also clearly evident biases in the criminal justice system (where, of course, money also plays a huge role) as well as the housing and job markets. Strongly-opinionated opponents of Kaepernick and his ilk so callously fail to consider what they're speaking out against. Instead, they'd rather simply dismiss their concerns as a "slap in the face to the veterans of this nation" (laughably ignoring the fact that those veterans actually fought for Kaepernick's constitutionally-given right to reflect during the anthem without standing) and/or "an attack on white people" (he never once mentioned white people in his explanation for his actions). But perhaps the silliest comments of all have come when these opponents also say that because Kaepernick is rich and famous as an African-American male, that he has zero right to criticize the obviously broken criminal justice system. And then there was the ever-so insufferably whiny Tomi Lahren using the intellectually lazy "leave America if you don't like it" while simultaneously airing her constant condescension towards the African-American community.
Patriotism is beautiful. Hyper-patriotism and blind, arrogant nationalism is ugly. It's perfectly fine to disagree with Colin Kaepernick; that's the beauty of the greatest nation on earth. But you shouldn't be calling him an unpatriotic traitor or telling him to get out of America for peacefully exercising his constitutional right to free speech. Funny how those who always say how people are too sensitive are now making a mountain out of a molehill themselves. Instead of crying about a few athletes not standing for a song or a flag, look into the message of the protest and stand up to make a change. If you truly love this country as much as your reactions claim, then refocus your anger to make it better for all of its citizens. Those who ignore injustice choose to condone it.
