Speaking to the dugout at the Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati, Ohio, Kapler said, “I don’t plan to go out for the anthem until I feel better with the leadership of our country.”
In a blog post, Kapler questioned whether the country’s leadership is committed to representing the best interests of its people and whether the United States is truly “the land of the free and the home of the brave.”
“They didn’t give us courage, and we’re not free. Police at the scene handcuffed a mother as she begged them to come in and save her children. , including a father who learned that his daughter was killed while arguing with police We are not free when politicians decide that pressure groups and the arms industry are more important than our children’s freedom to go in school without the need for bulletproof backpacks and active shooter exercises, “Kapler wrote.
Kapler later wrote about his disappointment with what he called “the failure to deliver on the promise of what our national anthem represents.”
“I’m not happy with the state of this country. I wish I hadn’t let my discomfort compromise my integrity. I wish I could have shown what I learned from my father, that when you’re not happy with your country, to be known through protest. The house of the brave should be encouraged. “
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has passionately called for stronger action against armed violence in the United States.
Kerr refused to talk about basketball before Game 4 of the Warriors series against the Dallas Mavericks, instead of raising his voice while denouncing armed violence in the wake of Tuesday’s shooting.
“In the last 10 days, we’ve murdered black seniors in a supermarket in Buffalo, we’ve murdered Asian religious people in Southern California, now we have murdered children at school,” Kerr told reporters at the start of the press. conference.
“When are we going to do something? I’m tired. I’m very tired of going up here and offering my condolences to the devastated families out there … I’m tired of the moments of silence. Enough.”