So You Want To Talk About:
Taking A Knee
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via: @//soyouwantotalkabout on IG
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(THREAD)

Colin Kaepernick tooka knee during the national anthem for the first time on September 1st, 2016.
He was the encouraged to do so by retired army green beret, Nate Boyer.

"Once again, I am not anti-American." Kaepernick said in a locker room interview. +

+ "I love America. I love the people. That's why I'm doing this. I want to help make America better. I think having these conversations helps everbody have a better understanding of where everybody is coming from."

Kaepernick took a knee to protest police brutality and systematic racsim in the United States.
What folowed was years of backlash from people who never took the time to hear his message to begin with.

In addition to the NFL, players from the MLB, NBA, WNBA, NHL, USWNT, NWSL, cheerleaders, & college teams across the board have also taked a knee during the anthem.

"Sons of bicthes"
In September 2017, while at a rally in Alabama, Donals Trump said, "wouldn't you love to see one of these NFL owners, whehn somebody disrespects our flag. To say, 'get that son of a bitch off the field right now, out, he's fired. He's fired!"

When Trump's words were hit amongst the crowd of red hats, NFL players collectively decided to take a stand...By taking a knee.

Players, owners & commissioners past & present chastised Trump for his divisive remarks, but the angriest response came from players. & rightfully so

Retired army green beret Nate Boyer is the man who advised Kaepernick to kneel for the anthem, rather than sit on the bench as he was previously doing.

Every player who has taken a knee during the anthem has been called "unpatriotic"
But the idea came from a man who very clearly loves his country & has served to protect the freedoms that it provides its citizens. including the freedom protests in a peaceful manner.

The NFL failed Colin Kaepernick.
More than 16 months after filing a formal complaint alleging that the NFL team owners worked together to keep him off the field in the wake of his kneeling protest, Kaepernick's collusion grievance against the league concluded a confidential +

+ settlement.

In November 2019, Kaepernick was scheduled to take part in a private workout in front of NFL teams, according to a document obtained by NBC sports.
The league tried to force him to sign a waiver to protect itself from the QB pursuing legal action, like collusion +

+ or retaliation lawsuits, against it.
Kaepernick refused to sign the document & instead hosted his own private workout, but fewer franchises attended than were expected to participate in the NFL-run version.

Now, four years since Kaepernick first took a knee, the NFL is changing its tune.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodel said in a video that the league would "Encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest," While adding that "I personally protest with you"

Taking a knee has become a display of peaceful protest around the world.

"The Psychology of taking a knee"

(END THREAD)

Sorry for the long one.
Please educate yourselves.
Most of the stuff we need to know isn't taught in school.