49ers: Analyzing Colin Kaepernick’s Protest of the National Anthem

Before Fridays game in Green Bay, Colin Kaepernick was stuck in the middle of a quarterback controversy. After the game against the Packers, he found himself stuck in the middle of a controversy that would prove to be even bigger.

Unless you’re stuck in the age before technology, or your television is at the bottom of your pool, you’ve heard plenty about the national anthem protest set forth by San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.” – Colin Kaepernick

Is Kaepernick wrong for making the decision to sit during the playing of the national anthem before last weeks game?

Quite simply, no. His reasons are his own and his motivation to empower people is noble.

Furthermore, if someone stands up for something they believe in then, in their own heart, they can never be wrong.

As a matter of fact, he’s a hypocrite for falling in line if he feels that he shouldn’t.

“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” Colin Kaepernick said, via NFL.com. “To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”

His motive for going through with the protest was noble for many people. But how he chose to display his belief was disrespectful to a whole lot of others. How you feel about society should not affect how you represent America. Especially when its because of this country that you’re able to wear a jersey.

Kaepernick refused to stand for the national anthem because he won’t support a country that oppresses people of color.

That’s simple enough to understand. But because this topic deserves a good look, let’s dig a little bit deeper.

Whenever a situation involves emotion, it’s better to state why things went wrong by arguing the facts that support or tear down the incident.

The definition of oppression, via Websters Dictionary, is the state of being subject to unjust treatment or control.

While Kap’s motives may have been just in his mind, the actions he took were contradictory. Because, by definition, Colin Kaepernick has oppressed the current country he lives in. He has turned his back on 250 years of historical events and iconic people who have made a difference just because the current state of affairs is more than unmanageable.

America means a lot to Americans. It means a lot to people from other countries as well.

Let us not forget the moment, less than one month ago, when Jamaican Olympian Usain Bolt stopped his interview and turned his full attention toward the American flag to honor the National Anthem. That was truly a great moment in the history of sports and says a lot about him as a person.

This is a touchy subject. No matter how it ends, it always will be, but now that the dust has settled, let’s try to understand the happenings with an in-depth look at last Friday and why the National Anthem is so important to America.

Some people don’t realize this, but the Star Spangled Banner is based on a real-life event.

On September 6, 1814, 35-year-old American lawyer Francis Scott Key traveled the Chesapeake Bay by way of a British fleet. His journey had one purpose, to free his friend who was a prisoner of the Brits.

Upon his arrival, he learned that the British were planning to bomb Fort McHenry. He was told that in order to avoid the attack all the Americans had to do was lower their flag.

Key and his newly released friend were set free, but accompanied by a guard due to their knowledge of the attack. The British forces attacked the Baltimore Harbor one week later and bombed Fort McHenry for 25 hours straight.

More from Niner Noise

• Predicting 49ers NFL Draft picks by looking at final mocks
• DraftKings NFL Draft Promo – Win $150 Guaranteed on Any $5 Bet 
• 2023 NFL Draft: EDGE Byron Young could be impact player for 49ers
• 5 low-key NFL Draft options for 49ers who are flying under the radar
• Updated 49ers salary cap space ahead of 2023 NFL Draft

When the dust settled, the flag stood proudly as if the attacks had never happened. The reason the flag never fell was because as the rockets flew toward the oncoming crowd of Americans, someone was standing underneath the flag holding it in place. If the flag holder died, another person would step in to hold the stars and stripes firmly in place.

Kaepernick refused to stand for his country and pay homage to the American flag because he feels strongly about how people of color are treated in America. But on that fateful day at Fort McHenry, those proud Americans would’ve rather died then to let that flag waiver even a little bit.

So why not stand for that moment? Honor the people that made this country great, honor the people that fought for your freedom so you could play football.

Currently the franchise is without a leader. 49ers fans were hoping that this week they would be provided with some sort of clarity as to just who that man would be. Instead they were given another distraction.

There’s an old saying that goes, “Before you can judge others around you, you must first start with home.” To avoid a war, all that 19 Century America had to do was lower their flag. To avoid this war, all Colin Kaepernick had to do was stand for the National Anthem.

Next: Colin Kaepernick: Like It or Not, QB's Protest Is a Distraction to the 49ers

All statistics, records and accolades courtesy of Merriam-Webster.com, NFL.com, Smithsonianmag.com, Pro-Football-Reference.com and Sports-Reference.com unless otherwise indicated.