Those who have come out disagreeing with Colin Kaepernick’s stance to sit down during the national anthem have harped on respect for the military.
Cardinals coach Bruce Arians, Bills coach Rex Ryan, Vikings offensive lineman Alex Boone and several others around the NFL have criticized Kaepernick’s refusal to stand as a sign of disregard for the men and women who serve our armed forces.
Monday afternoon, a video emerged of Kaepernick mingling with military members last season after a game against the Ravens. It goes along with the message he communicated in the locker room Sunday, that his protest is not directed at anyone fighting overseas.
“I have great respect for the men and women that have fought for this country,” Kaepernick said. “I have family, I have friends that have gone and fought for this country. And they fight for freedom, they fight for the people, they fight for liberty and justice, for everyone. That’s not happening. People are dying in vain because this country isn’t holding their end of the bargain up, as far as giving freedom and justice, liberty to everybody. That’s something that’s not happening. I’ve seen videos, I’ve seen circumstances where men and women that have been in the military have come back and been treated unjustly by the country they fought have for, and have been murdered by the country they fought for, on our land. That’s not right.”
The video is via our friend Ryan Sakamoto from NinersFans.com