What is the controversy surrounding #takeaknee

[henryp]

I agree. However, I don't think bringing the flag/anthem into to mix is helping his position for protest of "oppression of people of color and ongoing issues with police brutality". Here's why. Most of the unthinking people will hear/think he's saying fuck  all of america (did I hear that somewhere?) and not just fuck what's wrong with/in america. Unthinking Trump is a great example basically stating that Kaep is unamerican which is completely not true. He's more american by protesting. 

What's happened after that? Now the conversation has devolved into the right to protest, an attack on football/sports and a silly tradition. I haven't heard much about police brutality lately, have you? Oppression of people of color is still in the debate but has been diluted by this love it or leave it crap over the flag. To me it feels like this has become more about support the individuals right to protest (which is good in and of itself) and less stop oppression of people of color.  

Just my opinion.

The same attacks, and dilution, happened with BLM, with the hippies and civil-rights activists in the 60s, etc etc. It's the American way, and it doesn't really matter which arena or modality Kaepernick had chosen. Not his fault the public are so easily misled.

Instead of backpeddling which cuts Kaep's protest off at the knees, why not just stand the ground.  Say "Did your uncle give his life so that black people could be beaten, harassed, and shot in the streets?  Fuck no (results vary based on the uncle, I suppose).  Some people are taking your uncle's sacrifice and using it for terrible things.  You should be pissed too!"  It's like giving to a charity, and finding out they spent a bunch of money renting a private plane.

Unfortunately, why a person served has little bearing on how the fruits of that service is applied.  The right to kneel is nice,  but it's small potatoes.  The bang for the sacrifice buck there is kind of lousy.  I think people who served should be mad they aren't getting more for their time/service/sacrifice.