Fight for what's Right.

 By: Gregory Perez

       In the one of the first pre-season games of the 2016 NFL season starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers Colin Kaepernick decided to take a knee during the national anthem. There was many different opinions and words being exchanged over the internet throughout the season when he kept kneeling during the national anthem. I do not believe Colin could have prepared for himself with whatever would find its way to him, but I do not believe he would changed anything even if he knew. 

Why Did Kaepernick Decide to do This?

    Colin Kaepernick grew tired of all the police brutality and racial inequality people of color were facing in their everyday life. According to an article posted by the NFL written by NFL reporter "Steve Wyche" it highlights the exact words Kaepernick expressed when he was questioned about his decision, "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 told NFL Media in an exclusive interview after the game. "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"(Wyche p.g. 1). Around this time the United States was being faced with many large events of police brutality. Several of Kaepernick's teammates and a few other players on separate teams who believed in the same issue joined him. Kaepernick did not just have an impact in the NFL but in many different sport leagues around the world. To name a few of the lives that we lost would be Michael Brown and Philando Castile. (RIP).

What Resulted Due to Colin's Actions?

Colin Kaepernick has not played a game in the NFL since March 2017 after he opted out of his contract with the San Francisco 49ers. Many people found it odd because several years have passed and Kaepernick who was a very high skilled player still has not received a contract from the other 31 teams in the NFL. According to an article posted by "The Washington Post" written by "Cindy Boren" it states,"Kaepernick protested throughout the 2016 season, and he started 11 games as the 49ers finished 2-14. He opted out of his contract after the season and, with a number of mediocre quarterbacks landing with other teams, suspicions grew that he was being blackballed by NFL owners, who presumably didn’t want the attention that signing him would bring. He has not played professionally since the 49ers’ final game of that season, on Jan. 1, 2017"(Boren p.g. 1). This suspicion was thrown out around the league and around the internet. People were baffled at the fact a star level player was sitting out while still in the prime years of his career. Kaepernick was also faced with lots and lots of criticism from being in person at games when he was still in the league or a larger portion of it online from millions of people. 

My Opinion on this Matter ?

My opinion on this matter would be that I stand with that Kaepernick was standing up for. I agree with the actions he took because he was able to send a strong message so that people around not just the United States but the entire world to see. Being a person of color myself and coming from a community where a majority of the people are of color I agree that he did this because if not the issue would have not been seen as important. I also believe many of the people in my community would agree with everything Kaepernick did. It is very unfortunate that Kaepernick lost his professional career over this issue but I do not believe he would have changed anything even knowing what would happen and that is something I give him my upmost respect for. 

Work Cited 

Boren, C. (2020, August 26). A timeline of Colin Kaepernick's protests against police brutality, four years after they began. The Washington Post. Retrieved November 8, 2021, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2020/06/01/colin-kaepernick-kneeling-history/. 

Wyche, S. (2020, August 26). Colin Kaepernick explains why he sat during national anthem. NFL.com. Retrieved November 8, 2021, from https://www.nfl.com/news/colin-kaepernick-explains-why-he-sat-during-national-anthem-0ap3000000691077.