Focus shouldn’t be on form of protest

There’s now another story out in the NFL with fans showing their outrage toward another player.

And no, it’s not Josh Brown, kicker of the Giants, who was suspended just one game for domestic violence even though years ago the NFL said someone would be suspended at least six games for acts of domestic violence.

Actually, we’re getting outrage toward current (as of press time) San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

What exactly was the crime he committed to enrage fans across the nation?

He sat down while the national anthem was played.

That’s right, the act of sitting down.

“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 Steve Wyche of NFL.com. “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.”

And of course, when a man of color does something like this, people freak out and worry about the form of protest, rather than what he’s actually protesting about.

But sure, let’s focus on his form of protest. I’ve seen a lot of critics saying Colin Kaepernick is not respecting the military with his actions.

Except isn’t his freedom to express himself the exact thing our military is fighting for? They don’t sacrifice themselves just so you do what they want you to do. Nor do they sacrifice themselves for that literal flag, that piece of fabric. Rather, it’s what it represents, including the Constitution which allows people like Kaepernick to protest and express himself freely.

Matter of fact, Kaepernick even talks about this dilemma, saying “I have great respect for our men and women that fought for this country.

“I have family, I have friends that have fought for this country. And they fight for freedom. They fight for liberty and justice, for everyone.

“And that’s not happening. I mean, people are dying in vain because this country is not holding its end of the bargain up as far as giving freedom and justice and liberty to everybody.

“It’s something that’s not happening. I’ve seen videos, I’ve seen circumstances, where men and women that have been in the military have come back and been treated unjustly by the country they fought for, and have been murdered by the country they fought for. On our land. That’s not right.”

In sports, we want our athletes to be vocal, to not give us those boring “we played hard, we did good” quotes, but when something of worth is said but we don’t necessarily agree with it, we tell them to shut up and call them entitled? How does that work?

I’ve seen the memes on social media. Two in particular struck a nerve that had similar ideas. How can someone like Kaepernick be oppressed if he lives in a house like he lives in now? Or, how can someone like Kaepernick be oppressed if he was adopted by and grew up with two white parents?

Tennis player James Blake was “mistaken” for a criminal by NYPD officers because, well, if you’re black you look alike apparently.

It didn’t matter for police what Blake did or what kind of upbringing he had. He was wrongfully arrested because he “looked” like a criminal NYPD was after.

So if Kaepernick is driving around town or walking in a mall, do you think police will come up to him and say “wait! He had two white parents! He couldn’t have done anything bad.”

No. They’ll think he’s just another black dude.

Take a look on Twitter right now at all the people using their “freedom of speech” to call Kaepernick the n-word. Do you think they care that he was raised by white parents?

I’ve read someone try to argue that sitting through the national anthem wasn’t the best time to protest. So tell me, when is it ideal? Should Kaepernick have just asked everyone “I’d like to know everybody’s schedule so I can work around it and pick a perfect time to protest police brutality. How’s tomorrow at 3 p.m. sound?”

Then there are those who say he needs to actually do something instead of just talking.

But have you researched all that Kaepernick has done? Better question, what exactly have you done to help contribute? What’s that they say about throwing stones in glass houses? Continue to tell him what he should be doing though rather than asking yourself what you are doing to solve the problem.

I’ve written so many words on his act of protest and I haven’t even got to what exactly he’s protesting against and that is kind of the problem isn’t it? We have a problem in this country with police brutality, but instead of attacking the problem we attack those who voice it.

This isn’t my first column about police brutality. But my words didn’t go viral like Kaepernick’s did and for good reason to. He is much better at what he does than what I do. So if he decides to use this attention to protest and voice out something he believes in, who am I to chastise that man for exercising his First Amendment rights?