Colin Kaepernick was right!


 

“The day a police officer considers themselves only 'Blue' is when they've become lost.” Dr. BLR

 

A wise person knows that if they aren’t well-versed in something, they should remain quiet. In a world of social media, a person in the limelight should step back and enjoy the spoils of their profession because it won’t be worth it if they can’t handle the backlash, or, as young people call it, the “smoke.”

In 2016, Colin Kaepernick, then a prominent NFL player, made a calculated decision to kneel during the national anthem to express his concern about police violence in minority communities. His actions reverberated throughout the NFL and the mainstream media, and even President Trump chimed in. As a result, Kaepernick was blackballed from the NFL. This was an injustice to someone who was simply trying to bring attention to police brutality and inequality in the United States. 

You would think that Kaepernick would have a slew of NFL players come out in support of him, particularly Black players. However, the acknowledgment came too late, as the NFL owners decided that his actions were un-American and that he’d never play again. Kaepernick filed a lawsuit and ultimately settled for an undisclosed amount. 

Fast-forward to the 2026 Winter Games, which are being held in Milan, Italy. The games are controversial for several reasons, including climate issues, housing costs, ICE agents serving as security, Israel's participation, and anti-government policies on civil liberties. Protestors have booed Vice President J.D. Vance, who attended the opening ceremonies with his wife. As the games went on, protesters lined the streets to voice their concerns about ICE.

A reporter asked several U.S. athletes about their feelings on U.S. immigration enforcement policy. Freestyle skier Hunter Hess said, “I think that as a country, we need to focus on respecting everybody’s rights and making sure that we’re treating our citizens, as well as anybody, with love and respect. And I hope that when people look at athletes compete in the Olympics, they realize that that’s the America that we’re trying to represent. If it aligns with moral values, I feel like I’m representing it. Just because I’m wearing the flag doesn’t mean I represent what’s going on in the U.S So yeah, I want to do it for my friends and my family and the people that support me.”

No sooner had Hess’s response been shared with the U.S. media than President Trump spoke out against him, stating, “It is hard to cheer for American Olympians who are speaking out against administration policies, calling one such critic ‘a real Loser’ who perhaps should have stayed home.” Here again, we have the most powerful person in the free world speaking out against American citizens, who happen to be athletes, as they exercise their First Amendment right to free speech. However, there is no doubt that this athlete will not be banned from the Olympics going forward because he is a white male. This will be a one-off, forgotten, and/or forgiven. 

Fortunately, citizens in Italy follow developments in the United States regarding ICE. The Olympics have been marred, and ICE will be remembered in history for failing many of the people they swore to protect. Moreover, in the eyes of many, the Trump administration will forever be viewed as racist. It seems that ten years after Kaepernick’s defiant stance against police brutality in minority communities, nothing has changed. 

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