Other Colin Kaepernick is Righter Than You Know: The National Anthem is a Celebration of Slavery

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Bomberboyokay

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Jon Schwarz

Aug. 29 2016, 5:08 a.m.


Before a preseason game on Friday, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick refused to stand for the playing of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” When he explained why, he only spoke about the present: “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. … There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”

Twitter then went predictably nuts, with at least one 49ers fan burning Kaepernick’s jersey.

Almost no one seems to be aware that even if the U.S. were a perfect country today, it would be bizarre to expect African-American players to stand for “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Why? Because it literally celebrates the murder of African-Americans.

Few people know this because we only ever sing the first verse. But read the end of the third verse and you’ll see why “The Star-Spangled Banner” is not just a musical atrocity, it’s an intellectual and moral one, too:

No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave,
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.


“The Star-Spangled Banner,” Americans hazily remember, was written by Francis Scott Key about the Battle of Fort McHenry in Baltimore during the War of 1812. But we don’t ever talk about how the War of 1812 was a war of aggression that began with an attempt by the U.S. to grab Canada from the British Empire.

However, we’d wildly overestimated the strength of the U.S. military. By the time of the Battle of Fort McHenry in 1814, the British had counterattacked and overrun Washington, D.C., setting fire to the White House.

And one of the key tactics behind the British military’s success was its active recruitment of American slaves. As a detailed 2014 article in Harper’s explains, the orders given to the Royal Navy’s Admiral Sir George Cockburn read:

Let the landings you make be more for the protection of the desertion of the Black Population than with a view to any other advantage. … The great point to be attained is the cordial Support of the Black population. With them properly armed & backed with 20,000 British Troops, Mr. Madison will be hurled from his throne.


Whole families found their way to the ships of the British, who accepted everyone and pledged no one would be given back to their “owners.” Adult men were trained to create a regiment called the Colonial Marines, who participated in many of the most important battles, including the August 1814 raid on Washington.

Then on the night of September 13, 1814, the British bombarded Fort McHenry. Key, seeing the fort’s flag the next morning, was inspired to write the lyrics for “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

So when Key penned “No refuge could save the hireling and slave / From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave,” he was taking great satisfaction in the death of slaves who’d freed themselves. His perspective may have been affected by the fact he owned several slaves himself.

With that in mind, think again about the next two lines: “And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave / O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.”

The reality is that there were human beings fighting for freedom with incredible bravery during the War of 1812. However, “The Star-Spangled Banner” glorifies America’s “triumph” over them — and then turns that reality completely upside down, transforming their killers into the courageous freedom fighters.

After the U.S. and the British signed a peace treaty at the end of 1814, the U.S. government demanded the return of American “property,” which by that point numbered about 6,000 people. The British refused. Most of the 6,000 eventually settled in Canada, with some going to Trinidad, where their descendants are still known as “Merikins.”

Furthermore, if those leading the backlash against Kaepernick need more inspiration, they can get it from Francis Scott Key’s later life.

By 1833, Key was a district attorney for Washington, D.C. As described in a book called Snowstorm in August by former Washington Post reporter Jefferson Morley, the police were notorious thieves, frequently stealing free blacks’ possessions with impunity. One night, one of the constables tried to attack a woman who escaped and ran away — until she fell off a bridge across the Potomac and drowned.

“There is neither mercy nor justice for colored people in this district,” an abolitionist paper wrote. “No fuss or stir was made about it. She was got out of the river, and was buried, and there the matter ended.”

Key was furious and indicted the newspaper for intending “to injure, oppress, aggrieve & vilify the good name, fame, credit & reputation of the Magistrates & constables of Washington County.”

You can decide for yourself whether there’s some connection between what happened 200 years ago and what Colin Kaepernick is angry about today. Maybe it’s all ancient, meaningless history. Or maybe it’s not, and Kaepernick is right, and we really need a new national anthem.

https://theintercept.com/2016/08/28...-national-anthem-is-a-celebration-of-slavery/

GG.exe
 
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If he was still any good, he wouldnt be doing this. He is just trying to force his way out of San Fran.
If he always felt that he would of done it when he was revevant and made a stand by doing it when they made the Superbowl.

I dont think this even needs its own thread.
Washed up player, wants media attention and to force his way out..... F**k he is going to give Hayne ideas.

He is a dick who does s**t like this.
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lol at how much of a big deal they are making over this.
Every issue in the US becomes a big deal.

Even more so in the lead up to a presidential election.

They claim to hold their constitution sacred but really most of them are closet fascists. Especially conservatives. Unfortunately Australians are no different now. We sadly don't have a constitution or bill of rights to point to though when these idiots get off the leash.

Good on Colin for standing up for what it believes in. It'll cost him though & he has my respect if he digs in now.
 
Most of them seemed be getting worked up over him apparently 'disrespecting' their warmongering military.
How dare you challenge my close minded views !
 

IKnowtheDog

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The view people in the states have about the anthem you just need to see the flak performers cop when they put their own artisitic signature to the anthem. In fact I didn't realise Gabby Douglas copped flak for not even placing hand on the heart during the playing of the anthem at the Olympics!! until reading up on this.
 

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After speaking with seven anonymous NFL front office members, Bleacher Report's Mike Freeman came away with the opinion that teams "truly, truly hate" Colin Kaepernick, and he may never play another down in the league.

"I don't want him anywhere near my team," one front office executive said. "He's a traitor." Another team executive said, "He has no respect for our country. [Expletive] that guy." And according to one GM, "In my career, I have never seen a guy so hated by front office guys as Kaepernick." One executive said he'd rather resign than sign Kap. Freeman believes '90-95 percent' of teams feel this way, and he thinks it's possible Kap will be blackballed once/if he's cut by the 49ers.


Source: Bleacher Report
 
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Good on Colin for standing up for what it believes in. It'll cost him though & he has my respect if he digs in now.
When did he start believing it? aussiedude was correct. If he felt this way why wait till now to do something?
 
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Why did Gronkowski wait till now about grammar police if he always felt that way. Issues spring up for people thruout their years
Because Gronk finally understood people were laughing AT him and not with him ;)
 
When did he start believing it? aussiedude was correct. If he felt this way why wait till now to do something?
People's views change.

The issues he's protesting have been getting a lot more publicity in recent time too. Maybe he thought it was time to make a stand rather than play lip service?

Try doing this sort of protest for yourself. It's not easy. I believe he's doing it for reasons he believes in because there is no upside to doing it. This will hurt him.

So I don't question his motives.
 
Oct 18, 2013
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If he felt this way why wait till now to do something?

He's had a lot of time on his hands lately to reflect on social issues. He'll have even more time on his hands now by the sounds of things to do something about it.

Will be interesting to see if he stands his ground or caves to the almighty dollar.
 
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If it was Lebron James who did this he would be seen as a leader or some sort of brave black lives matter God... The bashing Kaep has received is ridicolous.

He stood up for something he believed in and we hear dumbasses saying s**t like " he isn't even black" smh..


This world really has no idea. I agree 100% with what Kaep was standing for and wish more black athletes did the same, too scared of the white men that pay their salary but I guess I wouldn't want to put my future wealth fare in jeopardy...
 
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/fsu-pla...xth-grade-boy-with-autism-eating-lunch-alone/

FSU player Travis Rudolph sits with sixth-grader with autism eating lunch alone

Leah Paske’s heart sinks a little bit every time her sixth grade son tells her he ate lunch alone again.

The young boy with autism doesn’t seem to notice or care, but that doesn’t stop his hopeful mother from asking him after school if things were different today -- if he finally found someone to sit with.

“Sometimes the answer is a classmate, but most days it’s nobody,” the mom wrote in a viral Facebook post with more than 7,000 shares. “Those are the days I feel sad for him.”

But on Tuesday, Bo’s mom cried tears of joy when she found out her son didn’t spend another lunch alone. He spent it with Florida State wide receiver Travis Rudolph.

“I’m not sure what exactly made this incredibly kind man share a lunch table with my son, but I’m happy to say that it will not soon be forgotten,” Paske wrote. “This is one day I didn’t have to worry if my sweet boy ate lunch alone, because he sat across from someone who is a hero in many eyes.”

Rudolph and several other FSU players were visiting Montford Middle School in Tallahassee when the wide receiver spotted the middle schooler sitting at a large lunch table by himself. Without giving it a second thought, the player plopped down across from Bo to eat a slice of pizza.

He didn’t know that this small decision would make such a big impact on the boy and his mother.

The college junior told CBS affiliate WCTV that he read Paske’s Facebook post before practice on Tuesday, and it nearly brought tears to his eyes.

“He’s a cool person, I’ll hang out with him any day. And for the mom, if he needs my (cell) number, he can get it,” Rudolph told WCTV sports anchor Kenny Morales.

The boy’s mother thanked the player for his “amazing” offer.

“[Bo] is a super sweet child, who always has a smile and hug for everyone he meets,” she said.

Maybe he’ll save one for Rudolph the next time he sees him.

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