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Angry 49ers fans are burning Colin Kaepernick jerseys in effigy after the quarterback refused to stand for the national anthem before a pre-season game on Friday in protest of racial inequality. They are also likely the same people who believe Muhammad Ali was the greatest of all time, because in America, we love to forget our history.
Kaepernick remained seated during the playing of the national anthem because, he said, "I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. There are bodies in the street."
Fans did not take kindly to his protest. "Listen, you ignorant son of a bitch," one man angrily said to the camera while the national anthem plays in the background, "People die every day defending the flag you refuse to stand for."
He then ceremoniously lit his Kaepernick jersey on fire.
But those who burn Kaepernick jerseys have forgotten the many athletes in the past who have not participated in the national anthem or other symbols of patriotism to highlight the problems with America. Muhammad Ali famously refused to be drafted to protest the Vietnam War and American racism. He was sentenced to five years in prison, temporarily banned from boxing, and fined $10,000.
Runners Tommie Smith and John Carlos shocked the world when they raised their fists in a black power salute at the 1968 Olympics, creating one of the most iconic moments in Olympic history.
More recently, Mizzou football players went on strike and would not play any games until the university president resigned amid a campus racism scandal.
And let's not forget we have a presidential candidate whose campaign slogan is Make America Great Again. The key word in that phrase is "again," meaning that America right now is not great.
You can disagree with Kaepernick's actions, but do not forget the many athletes we call heroes who have come before him. The same Constitutional amendment that allows him to sit in protest during the national anthem also protects your right to call him a "sick son of a bitch." But it doesn't make it right.
