Page 23 - Florida Sentinel 9-2-16 Online Edition

Opinions
Was Colin Kaepernick Wrong For Not Standing During National Anthem?
BY LEON B. CREWS Sentinel Staff Writer
For more than half-a-cen- tury, African Americans have protested injustice in this country. Long before “Black Lives Matter,” people like Marcus Garvey, Malcolm X, Jim Brown, Muham- mad Ali, and other high pro- file African Americans have stood out front in protest of in- justice to African Americans.
In 1968, Tommie Smith and John Carlos gave a closed black gloved salute dur- ing the playing of the National Anthem, and had their Olympic medals taken away.
Now, San Francisco 49er quarterback, Colin Kaeper- nick is being vilified for not standing for the Anthem dur- ing a game.
Opinions on his position vary, and these are the thoughts of some former pro- fessional athletes and citizens on his actions.
Former NFL tight end, Jerry Bell: “I think what he did was interesting. It’s his right to protest any issue he wants. He’s certainly gotten the nation’s attention, and most have said it could have been done in a different way.
“I think what he did ac- complished what he set out to do, and that’s to bring atten- tion to a national issue. These kind of protests have been done in the past. He knew there was going to be some backlash.”
Bell said unfortunately, this will have an impact on his career and his ability to attract sponsors.
“No one is asking Colin to be on ‘Dancing With The Stars,’ but Ryan Lochte is.”
Former NFL quarterback, Parnell Dickinson: “I don’t think his intention was to be disrespectful. I think he was just trying to get our attention.
“I was always taught that song is the song that repre- sents our freedom. I also think guys express themselves in dif- ferent ways. I can’t say he was wrong or right. Someone has
to step up sometimes, and say or do things people don’t agree with. This was a personal act and he did what he thought was right.”
Otis Anthony: “I think what he did was a beautiful thing. He’s simply trying to bring attention to the oppres- sion of Black people, and the behavior of law enforcement in their interactions with African Americans. He’s not unpatriotic. He loves his coun- try.”
Coach Billy Reed: “I think he has the right to do what he wants to do, but it was a bad decision. Personally, I didn’t like it. I believe as an American, you should feel proud to be a part of this coun- try.”
Albert “Buc-I-Fied Bert” Owens: “I think Colin was just exercising his right to
COACH BILLY REED
ALBERT “BUC-I-FIED BERT” OWENS
express how he feels. Some- times that can hurt you.
“This will definitely impact his career, because what he did might be considered tactful. But he feels strongly about what he believes, and he felt this was the best way to ex- press himself.
“This being an election year this is not something that will stay in the news for long.”
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2016 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 13-A