I have waited some time to discuss this issue, as I had hoped it would disappear before becoming a true national disgrace. Unfortunately, my patience was in vain. For anyone who is unfamiliar with the controversy, Colin Kaepernick, backup Quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, chose to sit during the playing of the National Anthem before a preseason football game. Since then, Kaepernick has continued to sit during the remainder of the preseason and for the first game of the regular season. One professional female soccer player (yes, they exist) and a handful of additional professional football players have repeated Kaepernick's demonstration, but the numbers were not nearly what was hoped for by persons affiliated with the "Black Lives Matter" movement and other far-left organizations. What exactly is Kaepernick protesting? Simply put, his sign of disrespect to the National Anthem and the Flag stems from his desire not to support a nation that "oppresses Black people and people of color", and that allows police officers to receive "paid leave while getting away with murder". The most galling of this situation is that Kaepernick himself is worth somewhere in the area of two-hundred million dollars. We live in an age when the professional sports and music industries are dominated by African-American performers, and the current President is Black. I'm not sure just when Kaepernick was "oppressed" during his young life, and I can't help but wonder why he doesn't donate half of his multi-million dollars to support educational programs and anti-drug initiatives in poor communities. The truth is, this entire circus has nothing to do with anyone's sincere efforts to encourage positive change. Kaepernick and his ilk are interested in accomplishing one goal, and that is to offend patriotic Americans who love the United States of America.
I hope I don't regret speaking my mind, but I'm prepared to take that chance, because what I have to say is exactly what many Americans truly believe. Whenever a Police Officer feels the necessity to discharge his/her firearm, its a tragedy. But where to put the blame? I do not believe that Police Officers in the United States purposely target anyone, at least not with a weapon, unless that individual has become a threat. We have to trust Law Enforcement to make that decision, because otherwise, who will protect us? If you don't want to end up on the unfortunate end of an encounter with the Police, then don't break the law. Don't rob a store and pistol-whip the owner, don't steal a car, don't carry around a stolen weapon because it makes you feel like a badass, and don't pull a weapon in the presence of a Police Officer. If an accredited Peace Officer is involved in a shooting which raises questions, we have to trust the system in place to dispense justice. If you feel that the system isn't adequate, then work to bring the changes that you feel will make a difference. In the meantime, don't break the law. I am a former Federal Law Enforcement Officer and I was obliged to carry a Beretta 40 caliber pistol holstered to my waist. It wasn't something any of us enjoyed. All it takes is one determined criminal or lunatic to attempt to grab your weapon and people can get seriously hurt. Its a heavy responsibility, one that should never been taken lightly, but the streets of many of our cities are owned by young people, flashing weapons as a sign of their authority. Over three-thousand persons have been shot in Chicago already this year. How many times have Police Officers been forced to pull their weapons in order to protect innocent people? It happens everyday, in San Antonio, in New York, In Seattle, and in Chicago. The lives protected and the lives that are saved are never counted by the Kaepernick's of the world. He and his supporters aren't interested in educating themselves on the reality of life as a Police Officer. The only people who live more dangerous lives are the unfortunate folks who live in the inner city, who are held captives by thugs, gangs, and drug lords.
Sitting during the National Anthem is a slap in the face of every soldier who gave their life so that we could be free. Its not just a cliche. Kaepernick and his posse are allowed to express themselves because brave men and women died so that we would not be forced to live under the tyranny of Communism and Nazism. Our troops are putting their lives in jeopardy as I write this, fighting the growing threat of Islamic Terrorism that threatens at any moment, to rear its ugly head in a grocery store, at a High School football game, or during a parade. Kaepernick could not live the life he enjoys in any other country in the world. Why does the Anthem and the Flag represent those who gave their all? Because those who continue to protect our freedoms (Police Officers included) have chosen those symbols. If you are a filthy rich, entitled athlete or performer and you want to make a difference, go into the community and set an example as someone who can be admired. Give as opposed to taking all the time. As a closing thought, let me express to you what really gives me the red-ass. Sometime in the last fifty years of our Republic we have decided that athletes and performers should be treated as special class citizens, and should be rewarded with mansions, first-class vacations, expensive cars, and all sorts of other "bling". Why does Kaepernick earn, in one day on the football field, more money than my mother and sister earned in their entire careers as High School teachers? Why does Britney Spears earn more money from one album, than an entire hospital full of nurses earns in a year? Do you think the average city bus driver in Houston or Denver earns as much money as a professional baseball player? I doubt it, but I can guarantee you that the bus driver has a more stressful, difficult job. If you are looking for a cause, try that one on for size. I'd better be careful, I'm beginning to sound a bit like Bernie Sanders.........
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