San Francisco 49ers star Colin Kaepernick kicked off a firestorm of controversy when he refused to stand, instead choosing to kneel during the U.S. national anthem before a preseason game, his way of protesting racial violence perpetrated by police against African-Americans.
“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of colour,” Kaepernick explained in an interview with NFL.com. “There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”
While some have accused the NFL player of being a traitor, and the San Francisco police union threatening to boycott 49ers games, the controversial athlete has a powerful voice in his corner: President Barack Obama, who discussed Kaepernick’s protest during a news conference in China after the Group of 20 summit by explaining he was “exercising his constitutional right,” reports USA Today.
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“When it comes to the flag and the national anthem and the meaning that holds for our men and women in uniform and those who fought for us — that is a tough thing for them to get past,” Obama said of the protest. “But I don’t doubt his sincerity. I think he cares about some real, legitimate issues that have to be talked about. If nothing else, he’s generated more conversation about issues that have to be talked about.”
And while Obama agreed that Kaepernick’s actions have been “messy,” this is “the way democracy works.”
“I’d rather have young people who are engaged in the argument and trying to think through how they can be part of our democratic process than people who are just sitting on the sidelines not paying attention at all,” Obama added.
