Colin Kaepernick succeeded by hitting a nerve in America.

 

When 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick stayed seated during the national anthem before a recent exhibition game, he made people look in the mirror and say, “How do I really feel about this?”  Most of his fellow athletes and celebrities did not respond, but their silence was deafening. Those who did counter, like his former pro coach and current Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh tied themselves up in knots. Harbaugh stammered, then clarified, then shut up.

Well, how are you going to be heard in this country, like Muhammad Ali and other notable protesters, if you don’t make people uncomfortable? Kaepernick could pick any number of venues to speak out about what he believes is the oppression of African Americans, but to truly be heard he had to choose a vehicle that makes people react and then think about what he said.

Carmelo Anthony might say a few things at the Olympics and then be drowned out by having won another American Gold Medal. People might hear it, but who really listens?  Kaepernick took a stand, or seat, where he had to be noticed, had to be heard. Now, he will suffer whatever consequences the powerful establishment will bestow upon him. It might be boos from the crowds; it might be benching by the 49ers when he throws his next interception.

Kaepernick obviously doesn’t care. With a one-hundred-million dollar contract supporting him, he speaks out for people who feel America has let them down but have no voice, no such power. He could have taken the stage at the ESPYs, done the same thing and garnered the same wrong-time, wrong-place scorn. And he would have received the same kind of attention he is getting now.

It’s a familiar refrain; I support his RIGHT to say it but not his methods. Well, saying it is useless unless people listen, and that has to be accompanied by what most of us don’t want to deal with. Ali did the same thing when refusing induction into the military, and he birthed a mainstream movement. Kaepernick won’t be an iconic figure, but he’s a stand up guy for risking his stature by sitting down.