I posted this elsewhere, but I'll post it on this site too...
Since Colin claims to be a Christian, he should understand and practice the golden rule, but apparently he does not choose to.
It's been explained to him that his action (kneeling during the national anthem) is not clear as a protest of police brutality, and no matter how much he tries to explain it as such, it will always come off as a disrespect to the country, its people, its symbols of patriotism, the sacrifice of those who've given their lives & limbs to defend it, their survivors and those who defend it today.
He understands this, but doesn't seem to care that he's treating people in a way he would not want to be treated, and most likely would not tolerate being treated.
His behavior is the opposite of the golden rule, as he would not wish for people to disrespect him if he informed them that what they were saying or doing was hurtful to him, his family, his teammates, his race, or the memory of his passed loved ones or those he respects.
If I was to explain that a bunch of people have decided we're going to loudly shout the n-word at the public as a way to protest police brutality since we don't have a national platform of professional football to air our mutual protest to the world, what do you think his reaction would be?
First, I'd expect Kaepernick to call me on B.S. (just as we're calling him on his).
And he'd be right - it would be B.S. because using a slur has no more to do with protesting police than showing disrespect to the flag, the anthem and offending American citizens.
There is nothing in the anthem that promotes, supports, advocates or glorifies police brutality - the song and the standing for the flag have absolutely nothing to do with police brutality. The flag & anthem represent the values of equality and justice - the complete opposite of racism, abuse of power, oppression and brutality. Standing for them means you support equality and justice, doing something else is a display that you do not respect these values.
So disrespecting the anthem has no more to do with being against police brutality than using the n-word in public would... both are only viewed as aggressive and intentionally hurtful ways to disrespect and insult large portions of the public.
Now, I could explain until I was blue in the face that the n-word is just a word, that I'm not using it to disrespect Kaepernick, his family or anyone of any race. I'm just using it as a form of protest.
I'm sure Mr. Kaepernick would explain to me (if he didn't just punch my face in first) that it's a disrespectful, hateful and hurtful act towards large numbers of people and that, no matter how much I want to rationalize it as something else, it's going to be seen as an attack, as disrespect, as antagonistic, as ignorant and nothing else... exactly as it's been explained to him how people view his kneeling during the anthem.
He would not want to be disrespected, nor have his family made to feel attacked, nor have his people, his teammates or his friends feel insulted, YET he cannot exercise the principal of the golden rule and view how his actions are offensive to others even when it's been pointedly & repeatedly explained to him right to his face, and despite the fact that the golden rule is a major tenet of his religion.