Take A Knee: Kaepernick, Boyer, and Brees

Colin Kaepernick decided to "take a knee" at a football game (in 2016) during the national anthem in protest of police brutality and racial inequality in the United States. Kaepernick was a football quarterback in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers when he made his decision to "take a knee" rather than to stand with hand over heart at the opening of the game. Kaepernick is an American civil rights activist as well as a football player.

Because of this action Kaepernick incurred the wrath of many Americans who did not understand nor try to understand why he decided on this manner of protest. He lost his standing as a football player and is now a free agent. Initially, Kaepernick was going to sit out during the anthem, but then in a very round about way came Nate Boyer who advised Kaepernick to "take a knee".

Nate Boyer is a military veteran who served as a U. S. Army Green Beret for six years in Iraq and Afghanistan. At the beginning Boyer did not agree with Kaepernick who began his protest by sitting out rather than standing with his teammates. Along the way Kaepernick and Boyer met and discussed the reason for the protest. Boyer realized there was a sincerity in the action. He advised Kaepernick to take a knee (rather than sit out) while being in line with his teammates during the national anthem.

Kaepernick eventually lost his position after an overwhelming disdain shown by President Trump and many other Americans. He has been a free agent since that event. In succeeding games other players joined Kaepernick in "taking a knee".

It was not until recently that I knew of Nate Boyer's part in the decision to kneel. Personally, I understood what Kaepernick and others were trying to accomplish and though it was unusual I did not find it reprehensible. It is the absolute right for a person to protest an injustice and to "take a knee" got the attention of every American who was remotely cognizant of what happens in the United States.

Rather than ask why and listen White people (mostly) jumped to an erroneous conclusion. Coming on the heels of the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis at literally the "knee" of a White policeman White people are beginning to listen. And we are beginning to understand even more that we thought we did.

Two days ago Drew Brees came out with an absurd statement for which he caught hell. He continued to assert his belief (from a 2016 statement) that he would never agree with N.F.L. players who knelt during the national anthem to protest police brutality. That's when all hell broke lose among Brees' fellow New Orleans Saints players and others around the country. He was told by Black teammates that he does not know or understand how hurtful and insensitive those comments and that thinking is to Black people.

With all the backlash that Brees has received he issued an apology. Brees issued a written and a video apology saying that he understands his comments were "insensitive and completely missed the mark on the issues we are facing right now as a country." He goes on to apologize to "his teammates, the city of New Orleans, the black community, NFL community and anyone I hurt with my comments...".  He goes on to say "it breaks my heart to know the pain I have caused".

I'm sorry, call me cynical, but why did it take getting blow-back from his teammates and people around the country for Brees to understand how uninformed, how hurtful his initial stance on "taking a knee" really was? Having said that, I truly hope his eyes and ears are open to what is taking place. It is never to late to understand. Brees' teammates accepted his apology, so who am I to be skeptical?