No, Kaepernick’s silent protest is not un-American

It may not be in the Bill of Rights, but last I checked people set their own terms for sitting and standing during the national anthem. Actually, strike that, it is in there — right around the whole “freedom of expression” thing.

But don’t tell that to the patriots valiantly attacking San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick. During a Friday preseason game against the Green Bay Packers, Kaepernick refused to stand for the “Star-Spangled Banner.”

“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” Kaepernick told NFL Media after Friday’s game. “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.”

This comment, predictably, lead the USA cheer section of Twitter to have a complete meltdown. Some fans even went so far as posting videos of them burning Kaepernick jerseys.

“Colin, here’s my salute to you. Here’s my salute to you sitting on the bench for the rest of the year and sitting when you pee for the rest of your life,” Shane White remarked on Facebook, before saluting a smoldering uniform to the tune of Francis Scott Key’s anthem.

It may shock some to hear that the people behind such nuanced critiques are managing to miss the point of Kaepernick’s decision to stay seated. His critics seem to fall into two camps: people who feel Kaepernick has no right to speak about oppression as an athlete with a eight-figure salary, and people who think Kaepernick is outright insulting the country that “made him.” But both of these ideas are ridiculous according to the very values these people claim to protect.

First, let’s dispel the notion that having money makes you unequipped to address social problems. Kaepernick is a black man who grew up in Milwaukee, a place The Atlantic’s City Lab project dubbed the “Worst Place to Live for African Americans” last year, due to severe disparities in incarceration, income and education levels. Chances are, he has seen some trace of systemic racism during his life.

And the thing about systemic racism is that it’s just that — systemic. It’s not a problem that goes away once you have access to financial resources, because even wealthy people of color — such as Questlove and Tyler Perry — face discrimination and its effects. They are not immune to the treatment their families and friends receive. Kaepernick is not defined solely by his race, but to act as though success invalidates his perspective is ignorant and condescending.

If anything, wealthy people like Kaepernick are precisely the type of people who need to speak up about the issues they see, because they’re the ones best equipped to raise public awareness. It is far too easy — and lucrative —  for celebrities and star athletes to remain silent. Just ask Michael Jordan.

The Kaepernick furor comes on the heels of a similar controversy embroiling U.S. gymnastics star Gabby Douglas. People were furious when Douglas didn’t place her hand over her heart as the National Anthem played at an Olympic medal ceremony.

Douglas later apologized for the overblown incident, stating it was unintentional and that her upbringing in a military household taught her to either salute or stand at attention, of which she chose the latter. This highlights perhaps the biggest issue surrounding both uproars: What makes our behavior during a national song the deciding factor of our patriotism?

If it is possible for a woman literally adorned in the American flag while representing her country in front of the world to forget a slight hand gesture, is that action really what should decide her national pride?

That’s not even accounting for the legitimate reasons someone may feel disconnected from these flag-based rituals. An atheist may feel odd pledging to serve one nation under a god they deny exists, just as someone from a historically oppressed community — like Kaepernick — may feel uncomfortable calling a nation free and equal as young black men die in the streets.

Having such conflicts of belief doesn’t make individuals un-American, it simply speaks to how conscious they are of the meaning these songs and pledges carry. Kaepernick’s critics seem to prefer he compromise his values in service of centuries old traditions, but aren’t those critics the ones refusing to update their perspectives?

Kaepernick used a national platform to protest something he believes is misleading. He stood up for his community and values because he can. He’s not disrespectful — in fact he has a better understanding of what being an American empowers you to do than the people furious with him.

After all, nothing is quite as American as patriotic one-upmanship.

Matt Moret is the Assistant Opinions Editor for The Pitt News. He primarily writes about politics and rhetoric.

Write to Matt at mdm123@pitt.edu