I am writing to express great disagreement and disappointment with the submission by Isabelle Carroll in which she denounces the peaceful protests by Colin Kaepernick. Although I respect Ms. Carroll’s opinions, I was disturbed by some of her remarks that were made about Kaepernick’s character.
Kaepernick took a risk that many celebrities do when they use their platform to voice social injustice. While it is true that Kaepernick has received more negative attention than he probably bargained for, I am of the opinion that he has knelt not because he craves publicity — rather, he has done so to draw attention to the gross number of police shootings that has resulted in the deaths of a disproportionate number of African Americans.
I would politely suggest to commentators such as Ms. Carroll that instead of voicing outcry over trivial matters such as kneeling to try and ponder the situation that has lead Kaepernick and others to kneel. They kneel not because they hate America but because they love their fellow Americans with darker hues of skin whose lives are cut short due to implicit bias. Truthfully, there will never be a correct way to protest social injustice because there will always be a critic ready to crucify the leader of the movement rather than focusing on the issues the movement seeks to highlight.
I don’t find Kaepernick’s peaceful protest disrespectful because he has remarked that he respects the armed forces. We all do. I find the critics who critique Kaepernick’s protest rather than focus on the issues he seeks to highlight as irresponsible brethren to their fellow Americans.