It is highly questionable as to whether former San Francisco 49ers’ quarterback Colin Kaepernick will ever play football again. In fact, if it were not for this new wave of racial controversy raging throughout American these days, it is almost certain that he would not ever return to football.
If he sees the loss of a football career as the existential tragedy of his life, he has no one to blame but himself. He should have known that refusing to stand for the National Anthem – which is how he began his personal protest — would roil a lot of football fans. In fact, he gave an earlier hint of going public with his opinions when he wore cops-as-pigs socks to work (pictured above).
While his intention was to draw positive attention to the issue of police brutality toward Blacks, his protest was far from successful. It was quickly seen as an attack on America by many folks – including some who supported his concern over policing primarily in the segregated communities in our major cities. It would be one thing to point to a problem but quite another to attack the symbols of our overarching unity – the National Anthem, the flag, the Pledge of Allegiance – and most recently Independence Day.
In a very real sense, Kaepernick was nullifying the basic American concepts of e pluribus unum — and our ability as one people to strive together for that more perfect union – in favor of identity-based tribalism. He rejected the idea that there are more things that we share in common than that divide us. Without that underpinning, there is no way to mend our division.
In his more recent tweet, Kaepernick again demonstrated a disdain for America as a whole – and does so by dishonestly conflating the past and present. In his tweet, Kaepernick wrote:
“Black ppl have been dehumanized, brutalized, criminalized + terrorized by America for centuries, & are expected to join your commemoration of “independence”, while you enslaved our ancestors. We reject your celebration of white supremacy & look forward to liberation for all.”
He is right to condemn the dehumanizing, brutalizing, criminalizing and terrorizing of Negroes in America. But Kaepernick – nor anyone else – lives in that America anymore. For sure, the residual of Democratic Party systemic racism can be found in our major cities today – but not so much among the general public. Kaepernick is not committed to addressing racism in America as opposed to advancing the narrow and specious narrative of the hard left. It is a broad-brush anti-American narrative replete with reverse racism.
If Kaepernick never makes it back to the gridiron, he deserves no pity. He is going to be a very, very wealthy man. Ironically, he is making his fortune by accessing all the fundamental freedoms and benefits of an American citizen. He is a living example of American Exceptionalism. His new wealth is the product of America’s free enterprise system.
He has had a lucrative contract from Nike and has now signed another deal with Disney to produce a docu-series to play across the company’s various platforms. He has lucrative book deals and his activist organizations are well-funded by a major donor.
Tearing down America – as opposed to making it a more perfect union – is highly profitable today. And Kaepernick is cashing in big time.
So, there ‘tis.
Editor’s note: After Kaepernick’s latest tweets, any team would be crazy to pick him up again. And would his team mates want to work with him? Maybe half will and half won’t. It would divide the team. Disaster.