Illustration by Corey BrightElizabeth Earwood- Contributoreearwood@uab.edu
During a NFL pre-season game, Colin Kaepernick, San Francisco 49ers quarterback, sat down during the performance of our national anthem. He soon altered his behavior by kneeling during the national anthem in later games. Other athletes, including Seattle Reign FC’s Megan Rapinoe, followed suit. While Kaepernick claims this move was to draw attention to oppression and police brutality, this message seems to be getting lost in his chosen medium.
In an interview with ESPN, Kaepernick discussed his intentions behind this action.
“The message is that we have a lot of issues in this country that we need to deal with. We have a lot of people that are oppressed,” Kaepernick said. “We have a lot of people that aren’t treated equally, aren’t given equal opportunities. Police brutality is a huge thing that needs to be addressed. There are a lot of issues that need to be talked about, need
to be brought to life, and we need to fix those.”
He further declared that he will be partnering with organizations who are working to increase equality and decrease police brutality.
He promises to donate one million dollars to such organizations.
Following these statements, there is no doubt Kaepernick has gained significant attention.
CBS Sports reported that Kaepernick’s jersey is among the top selling, and some commentators are praising him for entering the discussion on equality.
While these are honorable messages, sitting for the national anthem seems to have done little to change these issues to which he refers. In fact, most of the discussion surrounding this situation is about the fact that he has a right to sit for the national anthem if he chooses, not about how police brutality needs to end.
Because we are talking of free speech, it would be dangerous to say that Kaepernick was not allowed to sit; in fact no one is disputing this. The First Amendment guarantees our right to free speech. But, just because something is lawful does not mean it is beneficial. Kaepernick’s choice to sit for the national anthem has no specific ramifications towards decreasing police brutality and expanding equality. And so, his intended message was lost in the medium. Though everyone does not agree on his actions, most everyone is glad to have a conversation about free speech — a great hallmark of the American tradition.
Furthermore, I cannot help but mention my disappointment that someone who has amassed over $100 million by playing a game he enjoys, is finally willing to give up just one million. If Kaepernick really does want to make a difference, millions of dollars and the platform as a star athlete could be an effective starting point. Instead, sitting for the national anthem has started a discussion on free speech and earned him many interviews with the media. This is not a clear demonstration of his sincere concern for the problems in America.
The equality to which Kaepernick is referring is not the sort that is likely to change with disrespectful boycotts. Rather, it is one that is created by individuals befriending those in his community no matter who they are or what they look like. For example, UAB's diverse student population gives us all an opportunity to be friends with many different people. Let us be a part of an excellent, diverse UAB community, for this is the message that we must find in Colin Kaepernick’s expression.
