Gifted former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick was blackballed from football in 2016 for taking a knee in protest of police violence against the black community. Donald Trump twisted Kaepernick’s protest into something ugly and grotesque for all NFL football players. Yet, the quarterback transformed his message into something bigger than one man, even if that man was the president of these United States, and the football player did not stop there.
No, he continued to fight. Then, the Nike ad came out featuring the quarterback as its face during its 30th anniversary of the “Just Do It” campaign. Kaepernick took that momentum to move the larger message of racial injustice even further. He congratulated his brother Dolphin team players to “move the world forward:”
‘My Brothers
@kstills and@ithinkisee12 continue to show their unwavering strength by fighting for the oppressed! They have not backed down, even when attacked and intimidated. Their courage will move the world forward!’
Trump decided that instead of praising football players for respectfully protesting against racial violence by taking a knee, he would condemn them. The president said that they were disrespecting the American flag never mind that a woman at one of his latest rallies used the flag to wipe her nose.
No, POTUS’ issue dealt with race. He did not like the idea of prosperous football players using their megaphone to alert the country to cruel violence.
The president attacked Kaepernick, who was the first to take a knee. Then, Trump attacked the NFL football league. As a result, teams began to back off their support. However, the league has frozen the policy from banning this silent protest, since the players’ union sued.
Trump took to his rabid base and urged them to stay away from games. He even had Vice President Pence make a show of leaving during the National Anthem, as players knelt.
Yet, Kaepernick prevails.
Featured image is a screenshot via YouTube.
