Colin Kaepernick is...

[Berkut]

It is probably the activists' fault now that you mention it. They don't put together concrete programs to fight for so why should people like Kaepernick? Sure a statement was made but it was a statement that had been made pretty consistently ever since Ferguson. It is time to do something.

But *he* can't do anything other than what he has done. He almost certainly agrees that something should have been done long ago.

I doubt that's the case. We all really could do more. I don't think I've ever called my congressman about an issue or attended a local council meeting. He could easily make use of social media to call for something specific. General statements to draw attention, well what is that really accomplishing? Who isn't paying attention yet that is going to pay attention?

Lots of people - this is getting plenty of discussion.

If he posted something on social media, I am sure you would all be here decrying what a vapid stance he is making, and how cheap it is to just bitch on facebook, rather than actually risking his career.

And yes, we could all do more. He could do more. He could quit. He could donate his entire salary to some worth organization. He could douse himself in gasoline and light himself on fire in the middle of the next game he is playing.

Whining about what someone DOES do because he could "do more" is fucking weak sauce. No matter what anyone does, they could "do more". If your complaint is that he doesn't do enough, why aren't you bitching at the 1000+ NFL players who did nothing at all? Aren't they worse than someone who did *something* even if it wasn't enough to meet your lofty standards?

I disagree, clearly. As I've already said making statements at this juncture seems...well pretty useless. Problems of policing and problems for black people receive so much coverage in the media already. If he wanted to do something meaningful then he should have done something meaningful.

I disagree that public protest of this kind is useless. I think the history of race relations in the US make it pretty clear that there is never a point where public protest is "useless" because the awareness is so great that additional awareness is not at least potentially useful.

I think, if anything, his stunt has been a distraction. At least for most of the past two weeks, the discussion was on whether or not what he did was appropriate. People weren't discussing/trying to act on solving the issues he was highlighting but rather discussing the superficial of what should be the reaction to his action.

This I can agree with - it may be the case that the reaction to the protest becomes more of the story than the problem itself. But that isn't something for someone like him to evaluate, indeed, that is mostly an excuse to do nothing.

There is one thing we CAN be sure of - there are more than enough people filling the role of "someone doing nothing at all". I am not willing to focus my ire on those who make a stand, even if the stand they make isn't particularly agreeable to me.

[garbon]

I disagree that public protest of this kind is useless. I think the history of race relations in the US make it pretty clear that there is never a point where public protest is "useless" because the awareness is so great that additional awareness is not at least potentially useful.

I think the benefit, if any, in this case is marginal at best. Nothing I'll get worked up about but I'm not cheering him on either. I'll respect, of course, his decision to do so in the system in which he did it where he could face censure from his organization.

This I can agree with - it may be the case that the reaction to the protest becomes more of the story than the problem itself. But that isn't something for someone like him to evaluate, indeed, that is mostly an excuse to do nothing.

That I don't agree with. I think whenever one is making a stance, particularly so as a public figure and sort of during the course of performing his work duties, one has an obligation to evaluate what impact one's actions/words are going to have. I think some blame can totally be place on him for serving as a distraction as he has become the story moreso than the cause he wanted to highlight. The road to hell and good intentions.

There is one thing we CAN be sure of - there are more than enough people filling the role of "someone doing nothing at all". I am not willing to focus my ire on those who make a stand, even if the stand they make isn't particularly agreeable to me.

Sure that's fair. As I noted above, I'm not upset by his actions but I don't think them particularly praiseworthy either. I don't think taking a stand is good in and of itself.

[derspiess]

No matter what you think about him, his protest has had the best possible effect from his perspective. It has raised awareness of the issue, forced people to start talking about it, and triggered a wave of similar protests among his peers.

Sad that that is the best possible effect. I would hope the best possible effect would be actual reforms.

I'd agree that his stunt has gotten him tons of publicity.  I'm not a fan of what he did but also wish others opposed to him hadn't made such a big deal about it.

[alfred russel]

Never been black.  Don't know what it's like.

Put on black shoe polish, wear some beat up clothes, take out your belt so your pants sag, go down to the ghetto and talk to the toughest looking guys with bad grammar and lots of double negatives.

You may not learn what it is like to be black, but you will learn something about the black experience while interacting with cops.

[Razgovory]

Do to some misunderstandings and my rather peculiar looks, I know what it is like to a be a Jew.    Or at least a Jew running as fast as he little legs can carry him.

[derspiess]

#firstworldpogroms

[DontSayBanana]

Some of these options are not mutually exclusive, so I went with what I see as the "truest" option: Kaepernick is a douchebag.  Always has been.

[grumbler]

Lots of people - this is getting plenty of discussion.

If he posted something on social media, I am sure you would all be here decrying what a vapid stance he is making, and how cheap it is to just bitch on facebook, rather than actually risking his career.

And yes, we could all do more. He could do more. He could quit. He could donate his entire salary to some worth organization. He could douse himself in gasoline and light himself on fire in the middle of the next game he is playing.

Whining about what someone DOES do because he could "do more" is fucking weak sauce. No matter what anyone does, they could "do more". If your complaint is that he doesn't do enough, why aren't you bitching at the 1000+ NFL players who did nothing at all? Aren't they worse than someone who did *something* even if it wasn't enough to meet your lofty standards?

It's been a while since I've agreed with every single word in one of your posts (despite agreeing with the sentiments almost always).  It's ironic to read people who do sweet fuck all bitching about a guy who does something positive, because what he does "isn't enough."

You'd almost think those posters are completely lacking in introspection and empathy.

[grumbler]

I disagree, clearly. As I've already said making statements at this juncture seems...well pretty useless. Problems of policing and problems for black people receive so much coverage in the media already. If he wanted to do something meaningful then he should have done something meaningful. 

Meaning isn't determined by you, luckily for the world.

I think, if anything, his stunt has been a distraction. At least for most of the past two weeks, the discussion was on whether or not what he did was appropriate. People weren't discussing/trying to act on solving the issues he was highlighting but rather discussing the superficial of what should be the reaction to his action.

Luckily for the US, this isn't true outside your circles in Britain.  I've had meaningful discussions on this very issue with students and fellow-faculty, and they usually end with me telling them to just look through the news stories actually covering his actions, not the bullshit "hot takes" like yours.  In pretty much every case they come away with a much better understanding of what he is saying, and at least grudging if not ungrudging support for him.

Could he have timed it better or done it more thoroughly?  Maybe.  But that's not the criteria by which you judge social protest.  Even guys like Gandhi and King made mistakes in timing and message.

[Martinus]

Do to some misunderstandings and my rather peculiar looks, I know what it is like to a be a Jew.    Or at least a Jew running as fast as he little legs can carry him.

Perhaps you are just disliked because you are an obnoxious asshole? I mean, even without knowing how you look, you irritate people here. Perhaps the same happens in real life, and they just latch to something abstract (like, you look "Jewish") to get back at you?

I mean, I used to think people are mean to me because I'm gay, too. Now, I have embraced my inner asshole.

Edit: And this, imho, is one of the worst side effects of political correctness and identity politics. People do not change their behaviour, because they think other people are mean to them not because them themselves are obnoxious, but because those other people are racists, mysogines, homophobes, antisemites, fat-phobes, sanists etc.

[Martinus]

#firstworldpogroms

[Razgovory]

Do to some misunderstandings and my rather peculiar looks, I know what it is like to a be a Jew.    Or at least a Jew running as fast as he little legs can carry him.

Perhaps you are just disliked because you are an obnoxious asshole? I mean, even without knowing how you look, you irritate people here. Perhaps the same happens in real life, and they just latch to something abstract (like, you look "Jewish") to get back at you?

I mean, I used to think people are mean to me because I'm gay, too. Now, I have embraced my inner asshole.

Edit: And this, imho, is one of the worst side effects of political correctness and identity politics. People do not change their behaviour, because they think other people are mean to them not because them themselves are obnoxious, but because those other people are racists, mysogines, homophobes, antisemites, fat-phobes, sanists etc.

Random person chasing me with screaming "kike" probably has little to do with my personality since I never spoke to him.

[Syt]

Is the outrage at not honoring the anthem bigger or smaller than sending unsoclicited dick pics or running a dog fighting ring?

[garbon]

Oh good, I attracted grumbler.

[Eddie Teach]

Is the outrage at not honoring the anthem bigger or smaller than sending unsoclicited dick pics or running a dog fighting ring?

Dog fighting is definitely the biggest of those.