Tag Archives: Colin Kaepernicks
Conscientious Colin Kaepernick Is A Hero
Colin Kaepernick should be considered a hero for Black America. He has decided, against tremendous pressure from both inside and out, to defy one of America’s long-standing traditions all because his conscience told him to. By taking the stance of not standing during the national anthem to protest systemic Police brutality against Black Americans Colin Kaepernick is risking losing his career in the NFL along with millions of dollars in potential earnings.
A hero is someone who is willing to engage in personal sacrifice for the greater good of others. In life there are countless instances where people could be considered heroes for the things they do to help others. Most everyday heroes never get recognized and if you ask them how they feel about their non-recognition they might tell you that it really doesn’t matter to them at all. I’ll bet that if you ask Colin Kaepernick if he considers himself a hero for his actions he will say the same. That is because conscientious heroes see their actions as a duty to their community and to their country.
So why is it that some people seem to be more conscientious than others? Forget the unsympathetic racists whose views have their consciences locked away in dungeons guarded by ignorance, this is about Black psychology from a Black perspective. We have seen some of Colin Kaepernicks Black teammates as well as other Black NFL stars come out against his actions. Some others are saying that while they may agree with his message, the NFL is the wrong place to engage in social and political protests.
The truth is most Black sports stars and celebrities are scared to voice their true inner feelings for fear of losing their careers. Their consciences are suppressed by their desires. Conscience and Desire are polar opposites in human nature. On another level can we really blame some athletes for disconnecting from the struggle for Black liberation? Society teaches that we should function using a “save thyself” mentality, especially when we grow up in hardship and poverty. When we become rich our desire to maintain “the good life” forces us to find excuses for why we don’t want to speak our conscience.
Black people like Colin Kaepernick are anomalies and should be considered heroes. He is not only very conscientious he is smart too. He has deduced that the most effective use of his status as a top rated NFL Quarterback is to protest where it will get the most exposure. He could easily have joined a few Black Lives Matter marches during the NFL off-season and a few news reports might have picked up his story. Maybe he did do that but no one noticed or mainstream media chose to ignore it.
Some Black people are calling Colin Kaepernick crazy because they truly cannot understand his motives. Maybe like the actor Jesse Williams he doesn’t come from poverty so loss to him doesn’t hold much weight. Whatever the case, it is conscience that builds courage and courage that accepts sacrifice. Those are the things that makes heroes in my eyes.
