San Francisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler is protesting the U.S. National Anthem until he feels better about the state of the country following a mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas.
Kapler has received praise over his stance, and although he won’t be kneeling in protest, he’s following the framework established years prior by NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick. The difference, however, is that Kap was protesting police brutality against African-Americans and Kapler doesn’t have a defined posture.
Kapler released a written statement on Friday explaining how his father tought him to protest the Pledge of Allegiance when things are not right in the country. Even though he paused his protest for Memorial Day, it has been well received by most of the country, especially San Francisco.
Kapler, Kaepernick protests both in San Francisco
The irony is that when Kap protested the anthem, it was while he was a member of the San Francisco 49ers. Twitter users are now questioning why there is a huge contrast to reactions from fans when Kapler is protesting to when Kaepernick was taking the knee.
“I’m very curious if some people are gonna lose their mind over Gabe Kapler’s anthem decision like they did with Kaepernick’s protest,” tweeted Randy Wilkins.
“Salute to Gabe Kapler but we all know he won’t face the same criticisms that Colin Kaepernick did for taking a knee ‘until he felt better about the direction of our country,'” tweeted Anthony V. Clark. “A nuance of police violence is gun reform but the country wasn’t ready when Black folk were centered.”
Despite the wide gap that exists between the reactions to Kapler’s protest and Kaepernick taking the knee, Twitter users largely agree on one thing: peacefully protesting the U.S. National Anthem is a great move to raise awareness. With that being said, maybe it’s time to revisit Kaepernick’s protest to possibly join forces and create a greater movement.
Marca
