Let’s get this out of the way. No, I am not racist. No, I am not trying to “suppress” Colin Kaepernick’s First Amendment rights. Yes, it is his right to protest, but no, this is not the right way to go about it.

This is just downright degrading to both himself, his ego, and America.

It also would not be right for me to sit here and say, as a white male in Gilbert, AZ, that there is no racial oppression, because it has been proven on numerous occasions that racism is a very polarizing issue that is still present even in 2016.

But, do not even try to talk about prejudice, and wear socks with pigs wearing police hats. Much like in your NFL career, Mr. Kaepernick, you have dropped the ball, and you are miles behind your peers, both in football, and in life.

Now it would be easy for me to talk about Kaepernick’s lackluster football stats, so here it goes. Last year in nine games, Kaepernick threw for about 1,600 yards before being replaced by Blaine Gabbert as a starter. Clearly, this is nothing more than a publicity stunt from a washed out player on his last legs in the league.

I am honestly glad that you found something to take the attention off of the fact that you are backing up Blaine Gabbert. I don’t even play football, but I’d be embarrassed if I backed up Blaine Gabbert.

Now before you accuse me of using ad hominem to attack Kaepernick’s character, not his argument, reread that. Because he has fallen from grace in terms of football, he seemingly feels the need to find something to sway the conversation from his less-than-stellar play on the field, to his “heroism” off of it. Very Tebow-esque, in my opinion, as it reminds me of the publicity firestorm Tim Tebow got while backing up Kyle Orton in 2011. After a 1-4 start, with fans chanting his name, Tebow Time began, less because of his talent, but his popularity. Now it remains to be seen if Kaepernick is hoping to accomplish the same results, but at this point, he is willing to give anything a shot.

Colin, you have every right to protest something if you believe (and you’re probably right) that there is some kind of injustice in this nation. But for your own sake, choose a different method. And yes, there are different methods. In 1996, NBA player Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf refused to stand during the anthem, calling the American flag “a symbol of oppression”. After being suspended, he agreed to the less volatile option of standing, but not actually listening to the words in the song. Novel concept, right?

In 2004, Blue Jays slugger Carlos Delgado, a Puerto Rican, refused to stand for the singing of “God Bless America” during the 7th inning of an exhibition (he was protesting the US Navy’s use of the Puerto Rican island of Vieques as a testing ground for weapons, most notably weapons of mass destruction. His solution, a rather less-than-hostile one, was to remain in the clubhouse while it was played, where people would not even know, or care, whether he was sitting, standing, or doing anything else. Moral of the story, there are much, much less intrusive and offensive ways to partake in protest.

But oh well, you can always follow through on your promise to leave if Donald Trump is elected. Lots of NFL has-beens play up in Canada, you might start in the CFL. You won’t have to worry about the national anthem up there.

Being the whitest of all white girls, I have no right to talk about black oppression- but let me tell you, it’s there, and it’s  recently been brought back to the public’s attention. Our nation has been in uproar as our patriotic routine for the national anthem has been “dishonored” by one NFL quarterback’s decision to sit instead of stand.  *gasp* Oh the horror- someone is actually using one of their rights, because apparently in today’s American society it is unheard of.

I applaud you Colin Kaepernick for standing up, well in this case sitting, in front of millions of the most patriotic Americans, for a cause that most people have just brushed aside. Have we all just forgotten that Black Lives DO matter? Kaepernick believes so, because if not, he would not have caused this national controversy.

Turn on any news station or look at any social media outlet over the past couple months, and racism is there. Headlines scattered with accounts of police brutality and riots in the streets, all because people have forgotten that black lives matter.

The over-the-top beatings by Los Angeles Police Officers to Rodney King in 1991 erupted the beginning of a movement about racial injustice. More recently, there have been an increase of events focused on police brutality and even violence within one’s own racial group. It’s astonishing to think that a nation that is the symbol of unity has become so divided.

Kaepernick’s “subtle” approach has made many Americans more furious than actually watching the black oppression that is plaguing our screens. It is a bit disappointing when it takes a football player to finally get everyone to lift their heads, and recognize the reality of the situation, but hey at least the public is finally taking notice.

However, people might agree with his topic of protest but view with disgust the way he is going about doing it; viewing it as a publicity stunt since his football career has gone to shambles right before everybody’s eyes. People are flipping the perspective, to overshadow the true issue he is trying to present.

Kaepernick has stayed true to his protested words by donating his first $1 million dollars to communities that have been directly affected by racial injustice. Donating that much money for a so called, “publicity stunt,” shows the true ignorance people have in respect to this cause.

Although, there have been countless people who have used their fame as a protest mechanism to certain issues, it has been hard to ignore the increase of racial oppression and the prominent expansion of it through the media, and need for someone to speak out for change.