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Six years ago, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick chose not to play the national anthem, to raise awareness about police violence against black and brown citizens. San Francisco Giants coach Gabe Kapler is now making a similar move, exasperated by the nation’s collective failure to protect children in school from being massacred by a purchased war weapon. legally by an 18-year-old.
Instead of kneeling or sitting while the song sounds, Kapler will stay away from the field. He said he would continue his peaceful protest indefinitely.
“Until I feel better with the leadership of our country,” Kapler said through Evan Webeck of the Bay Area News Group. “I do not expect the needle to move. It ‘s something I feel strong enough about to take this step. “
Kapler said he wished he had done more on Tuesday, when the Giants played the Mets after the deaths of 19 children and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas. The match was preceded by a moment of silence for the victims, followed by the reproduction of Metallica’s anthem.
“I knew it wasn’t in my best space mentally, and I knew it was related to a little bit of the hypocrisy of presenting the national anthem and how it coincided with the moment of silence and how those two things didn’t sync. I’m fine. “Kapler said.
Kapler explained the situation to his personal blog on Friday.
“Every time I put my hand on my heart and take off my hat, I participate in an exaltation of the only country where these mass shootings take place,” Kapler wrote. “My brain said to fall to one knee; my body was not listening. I wanted to walk inside again; instead I froze. I felt like a coward. I didn’t want to draw attention to myself. He did not want to take away the victims or their families. There was a baseball game, a rock band, the lights, the show. I knew thousands of people were using this game to escape the horrors of the world for a while. I knew thousands more would not understand the gesture and would take it as an offense to the military, to the veterans, to themselves.
“But I do not agree with the state of this country. I wish I had not let my discomfort compromise my integrity. I wish I could have shown what I learned from my father, that when you are not satisfied with your country, you make it known through protest. The house of the brave should encourage it. “
In fact it should be. America is not great simply because it is expected that we all believe it and say it, and that we avoid anyone who dares to disagree or join the herd in a collective show of obligatory patriotism. America must earn its greatness. Currently, according to Kapler, it is not.
His gesture comes at a time when Kaepernick is finally, after five years of being ignored because of owners who simply don’t have the moral and financial courage to do the right thing (that is, NFL owners are cowards). has trained with the Raiders. If the others are committed to doing the right thing, to stand firm in the face of those who will blow, Kaepernick will have more opportunities after more than half a decade without getting any.
Like Kapler, Kaepernick took part in a peaceful protest. Kaepernick acted in accordance with applicable NFL rules. He did nothing wrong.
With so much chaos and carnage stemming from an irrational obsession and a totally unrealistic interpretation of the Second Amendment, it would be good for those living in the largest nation on earth to have a full commitment to the simple language of the First Amendment. And it would be great if some of the richest and most powerful people in the country set the right example for the rest of us.