Seeing Kaepernick kneel only made me think that Kaepernick was being a narcissist. He was the one who kissed his biceps and preened when all was well. Then when his career slid he suddenly decided to sit (later kneel). I just didn't take him seriously. I'm not making my comment retroactive. That's what I thought at the time.
I only want the issue to go away in the sense that a solution has been discovered but it's not that simple. We can talk about de facto versus de jour rights as someone posted earlier and I fully recognize that it's not the same for everyone. Rich black people can get away with murder (OJ). Poor black people can and do get railroaded. I believe any police officer who shoots someone in cold blood should be held accountable just as you or I would.
I've not witnessed any police interactions involving force with anyone. If a police officer is in a tense situation and believes someone has a gun and is refusing to follow their commands then I have accepted that what comes next is a product of the street. Black people say the police have a quick trigger finger. That may be true (I say MAY BE true because I don't like to make absolute statements of fact when I really don't know; everything is anecdotal which means I harbor a perception). The question is why? Because their lives don't matter? Because the cops are afraid of black people? Because cops are murderous racists?
I do not believe that Kaepernick, Reid and the other players transitioned the MESSAGE (versus a fringe group) of police brutality to the forefront. The only message I'm hearing now is an argument about free speech at work and arguments about patriotism.
Last edited: Oct 18, 2017