The Great Sun Tzu:

The greatest victory is that which requires no battle.

Kap's Defiance

Colin Kaepernick, former QB of the San Francisco 49ers, set the football world ablaze in the 2016/2017 season from a single act of defiance. No, he did this not by walking out of the stadium mid-game or holding out of his team contract. Instead, he simply took a knee before the game started.

It was the timing of the kneel that had the entire NFL and its fans talking for months on end. Colin Kaepernick decided to take a knee during the playing of the United States national anthem. In one moment of disobedience, "Kap" had managed to bring attention to one of the biggest problems facing modern day society.

However, the moment would not be well received and brought forth a great degree of resistance.

A Knee For A Stance

Kap took a knee during the national anthem to bring attention to the institutional racism that has plagued this great country for centuries. Kaepernick focused his protest on police brutality aimed at minorities. Three cases in particular drew national attention: Eric Garner, Walter Scott, and Philando Castile

No matter which side of the fence you fall on in the debate of police brutality, no one can dispute the facts that these three men were unarmed at the time of their death. And the deaths were caused by police who were sworn to protect and serve. In all three cases, the police officers responsible were found to have acted in line with their duty and the killings were deemed justified.

Colin Kaepernick, like many Americans grew outraged from the actions of police officers and he felt the best way to draw attention to the problem was to take a knee during the playing of the national anthem. He chose this particular moment because the anthem is supposed to stand for equality and representation for all citizens of the United States. However, many people feel that minorities, mainly African-Americans, have been denied the same freedoms provided by the country.

The Resistance

The protest against police brutality had somehow transformed into a protest against the national anthem itself. When this transformation occurred, Kap's kneeling took an ugly turn. The entire nation was split into two categories. Those who agreed with his right to protest and those who felt he was a disgrace to the country and, more importantly, the flag.

A stance against inequality and injustice was now overshadowed by millions of Americans who felt their patriotism was being attacked. Many in the military also took this very personally and felt the NFL should discipline Colin Kaepernick for his protest.

While the NFL did not take action, Kaepernick quickly felt the brunt of his decision and was released by the 49ers. They said it was due to lack of play ability, but everyone knows it was a direct result of Kap taking a knee. Colin was subsequently "black-balled" from the league and has yet to be signed by any franchise.

Going Forward

You have every right to feel how you want to feel about the NFL and the players who chose to protest, just as the players have every right to use their first amendment right to protest against police brutality.

If you think that the protests are a distraction to the team, then perhaps you should take a look at your favorite team and see how many players have been in trouble with the law or have committed acts that were detrimental towards the league. Yet somehow these players have found a spot on the roster.

And for those who say Colin Kaepernick is not playing on an NFL franchise simply because he is not good enough: you're wrong. The NFL is laced with mediocre and sub-par quarterbacks who not only have jobs in the NFL, but some of them are starting for their respective franchises.

The bottom line is Colin Kaepernick had every right to kneel during the anthem. It was not a shot at the U.S. Military or the U.S. flag. It was nothing more than a citizen of the United States standing - or in this case, kneeling - for what he believed in. Unfortunately, some people think he should just shut up and play football.

Well, I for one am proud of Colin Kaepernick and the courage it took to fight for those of us who cannot fight for ourselves. He did nothing more than take advantage of the rights given to him by our great military. Whether or not Kap ever lands another job in the NFL remains to be seen.

This writer is rooting for you Kap. Stay strong, stay vigilant, and definitely do not stay quiet.

_{Cover photo credits: Austin Kirk, CC BY 2.0}

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_{Author: @bigpchef
Editor: @bacchist}

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