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Still Got Love For Kaep
C olin Kaepernick is an icon in the Black com- munity. Whether or not he ever steps onto a football field again, in my book, that
status is solidified.
This is why I was some-
what disappointed when I heard that he agreed to par- ticipate in a workout for the NFL last week. Even though it, ultimately, didn't pan out the way it was initially planned, due in part to a dis- agreement pertaining to legal waivers, liability issues and the rights to film the event, as far as I'm con- cerned, he shouldn't have gone in the first place.
Kaepernick is a proven professional talent as well as an All Pro caliber quarter- back who led his team to the Super Bowl. Forcing him to prove his worth by showcas- ing his skills in a combine- styled exhibition came off as more of a slap-in-the-face than anything else.
If this was a standard procedure that the NFL em- ployed whenever teams were interested in a player, who had been out of the league for an extended period of time, I probably wouldn't have had a problem with Kaepernick going through, what could be considered proper protocol. But, since that wasn't the case, it made me wonder, what was the point?
It isn't uncommon for NFL teams to call on inactive players whenever they're in desperate need to fill a posi- tion. Just last season the Los Angeles Rams did exactly
that when they signed an overweight C. J. Anderson to handle the running back duties for an injured Todd Gurley.
All Anderson had to do was pass a physical to make sure he was healthy enough for contact. There was no need for 32 teams to come and see if he could still run through tackles. He simply showed up to the Rams facil- ity and began practicing.
I also don't recall Michael Vick, who got a job straight out of prison, or Jason Witten, who left the broadcast booth to return to the Dallas Cowboys recently, having to put on a dog and pony show before they were welcomed back either.
What the NFL asked of Kaepernick last weekend was unprecedented. And the entire thing reeked of a set up designed to give an excuse as to why Kaep doesn't de- serve an opportunity to play.
I believe Kaep was right to insist on the media being present (something the NFL was allegedly adamant about not allowing) as a way to pro- tect himself against a poten- tial smear campaign. That way, if the NFL did try to re- lease footage displaying the worst of Kaep's throws, he would have been in posses- sion of contradictory docu- mentation that could prove that his abilities far exceed those of several current starters including Mitchell Trubisky in Chicago, Ryan Fitzpatrick in Miami, Sam Darnold in New York, any of the quarterbacks currently
suiting up for the team in Washington, D.C., and, dare I say, even Tampa Bay's Jameis Winston.
Of course, there are people out there, ESPN's Steven A. Smith being the chief among them, who believe that Kaepernick should have acquiesced to the de- mands of the league, no mat- ter how much of his character and dignity he had to compromise, in order to secure employment.
Unfortunately, these are some of the same individuals who come from a generation who also still think that Black people should always smile, wear their hair a cer- tain way and refrain from raising their voices "so's not to offend or intimidate good white folks."
Personally, I wish Kaep's response would have been "thanks, but no thanks" the first time he was approached about this idea. I mean, I get that he loves the sport and needs to make a living, but his destiny appears to be moving him into the direc- tion of something with much greater significance.
While some may feel as though Kaep's actions may have sealed his exclusion from football forever, I'm glad he showed the courage to stand his ground. He could have easily done every- thing the NFL asked and possibly been rewarded with a roster spot and a lucrative pay check.
But, in the end, he would have lost something far more valuable... the respect of a nation of people who view him as something special.
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More Money!
illionaire, Tom Steyer added an air of interest
to the 2020 Presidential race when he an- nounced his candidacy for President. Believe it or not, Steyer is among a group of at least twelve wealthy mil- lionaires and billionaires who have advocated publicly for the super-rich to pay more taxes.
Among them are Warren Buffet, Marc Benioff, Michael Bloomberg, Bill Gates, Ray Dalio, George Soros, Eli Broad, Pierre Omidyar, Hansjoerg Wyss, Howard Schultz, Mark Cuban, and Leon Cooperman.
While they represent a small number of the 8.6 mil- lion millionaires and 600 billionaires in America, at least they recognize and admit their belief in the un- fairness of the American tax system and the inequality of wealth in America.
Of course, there are rich Americans who feel the exact opposite. However, they cannot refute the fact that the four hundred richest Americans have paid a lower tax rate than other income groups for decades. Moreover, a larger number of working-class and mid- dle-class Americans are weary of paying higher tax rates than the ultra-rich.
Billionaire Mark Benioff wrote an op-ed column saying, “Increasing taxes on high-income individuals like him would help generate the trillions of dollars that we desperately need to improve education, health care, and to fight climate change.”
Eli Broad wrote that he was advocating the tax in- crease because, “I believe it’s time for those of us with great wealth to commit to reducing income inequality, starting with the demand to be taxed at a higher rate than anyone else.”
There is no surprise that 79 percent of Democrats have negative views of the nation’s tax laws, while 71 percent of Republicans approve of them. For nearly a century, the Republican Party has practiced protec- tionism of the rich. It is way past time to implement a fair tax system.
We support a fair tax system for all Americans that include a roll-back of paying rebates to corporations that make millions and billions of dollars, yet, pay no taxes.
We should begin by rolling back Trump tax cuts for wealthy individuals and corporations.
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