On Lynching Colin Kaepernick

This anthem was never meant to be the rock in which our nations foundation stood upon; all the while, things such as one’s constitutional right to freedom of speech are… The irony within the primary argument stating that because a wounded veteran stands during this national anthem so should Kaepernick, we must ask ourselves, “What then was that soldier fighting for in the first place?”

(Hint: It wasn’t a song)

Yes, America is great, but can we agree that there’s always going to be room for us as a country to grow…? It’s the question of whether or not we honor how far we’ve come, or, we protest how far we still have to go.

Systemic racism is an issue; denying this reality with the readily available access to unlimited research (spanning from a diverse array of backgrounds), is merely to show one’s ignorance as opposed to proving the other wrong.

The painful aspect of this is that we will, in fact, see the cost and repercussions of Colin’s choice in not standing. We saw Ali lose 3 years of his prime; Jackie Robinson’s mere existence within a white space was cause enough for him to endure the bigoted beratement on a daily basis; countless others within athletics have been scolded for taking a stand for justice. Inevitably, assuming Kaepernick continues to push the issue, the bigotry of our nation will lynch him in attempt to silence, set an example, scare away others… as fear, it’s a very powerful tool.

“Kaepernick’s true sin is his rejection of the faustian bargain offered to black people who reach elite status in America––that their success comes at the price of ceasing to criticize the racism in the system that allowed them to thrive as exceptions. Many Americans would prefer that black elites not remind them of America’s unfulfilled promise that all are created equal, but rather pretend it has already been realized, or be silent about the ways in which it has not. The only thing that would satisfy Kaepernick’s critics is apathy.” – Adam Serwer

The foundation of our nation was built upon the sins in which enslaved and murdered others; the seeds of justice being planted by men who have had the courage enough to reject cowardice and apathy are being watered by the blood, sweat and tears of men like Colin Kaepernick (not just limited to…).

My hope is that this will encourage others, black, white, Asian, Hispanic, rich or poor…. to reject cowardice and stand for justice.

[1] Images are screenshots from video provided by AJ+

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