Page 11 - Demo

Kaepernick’s Controversy
Story by Danny Meza
Two years ago on September 1, 2016, Colin Kaepernick took a knee. He took a stand against police injustice towards minority groups, against an abuse of power by an authority that is supposed to swear an oath that they will protect the citizens of the United States and uphold the Constitution. It wasn’t long before other players
followed suit, and a controversy was born.
The controversy surrounding Kaepernick’s decision to honor the anthem by kneeling rather than
standing sparks from America’s divided point of view on the matter. On one side of the spectrum, there are citizens that advocate that this now ex-quarterback should have no right to do anything but stand tall and sing loud as the nation’s song plays over the speakers. The President himself has made his position clear. Trump blames Kaepernick for a decrease in the 2017 NFL season ratings by about nine percent and personally suggests that the NFL ban all players expressing their views by protesting during the anthem. In 2017, President Trump said the NFL should fire any player
who does not stand for the anthem. The following Sunday, over 200 NFL players sat or knelt during the anthem. Obviously, two seasons into protests and the league’s officials have yet to take the president’s advice.
The other side of the coin is more liberal Americans believe that Kaepernick’s actions were absolutely allowed under the first amendment. Standing up against half a country, Kaepernick became a lightning rod for many causes and minority groups who feel they’re oppressed. He has become a symbol for standing up against oppression, and speaking truth to power. By choosing to protest in a country whose founding documents make all men equal, but where many feel people of color are treated unjustly, Kaepernick has become the voice of a people who many feel have not been heard in a long time.
Colin Kaepernick has made it vehemently clear that when he chose to kneel for the
anthem, he meant no disrespect to the military or veterans, rather, he hopes that they understand why he chose to do this. Kaepernick is using his influence and visibility to
stand up for something that he thinks needs to be addressed. Some have compared his
protest to that of Tommie Smith and John Carlos, the American Olympians who raised
black-gloved fists on the medal podium during the 1968 Olympics in protest of racial
inequality. Although criticized and expelled from the U.S. Olympic team for their actions, 50 years later, Smith and Carlos were hailed as heroes, and were recognized with the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the 2008 ESPY awards.
Nike, the American multinational corporation that is engaged in the design, development, manufacturing, and worldwide marketing and sales of footwear, apparel, equipment, accessories, and services, on September 5 of this year, released the controversial Kaepernick commercial titled “Dream Crazy.” Having sponsored Kaepernick since 2016, Nike decided to take a risk on the ad campaign which features the line, “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.” Despite a few individuals burning their Nike gear on YouTube, Nike’s sales began to increase after the release of Dream Crazy.
While Kaepernick has not been able to convince an NFL team to sign him, he has not backed down from his cause. In 2017, Kaepernick was awarded the Sport Illustrated Muhammad Ali Legacy Award and named as GQ’s Man of the Year. In April, Amnesty International honored him with the 2018 Ambassador of Conscience award, and this month the quarterback-turned-activist was awarded the W.E.B Du Bois Medal by the Hutchins Center for African & African American Research at Harvard University.
Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.
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