Colin Kaepernick is this generation's civil rights leader, Olympian John Carlos says

[SummerMadness]

Colin Kaepernick is this generation's civil rights leader, Olympian John Carlos says

The African-American athlete who sent shockwaves across the globe by raising a black power salute as he accepted a bronze medal at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, says that NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who remains unemployed because of his protest against police brutality, is “this generation’s iconic civil rights leader.”

John Carlos told TMZ that Kaepernick's "commitment and sacrifice" to the issue makes him "one of many great individuals whose name will be spoken alongside the likes of Muhammad Ali, Jackie Robinson, Dr. Tommie Smith, Peter Norman, and myself." Smith, who won the gold, joined Carlos in the controversial salute. Norman, an Australian, stood in solidarity with the two Americans.

 

[bhsmte]

One man's opinion.

 

[SummerMadness]

John Carlos has an opinion that holds more weight than most.

 

[bhsmte]

John Carlos has an opinion that holds more weight than most.

That would also be opinion.

 

[GoldenBoy89]

I fully support Kaepernick whether he stands, sits, kneels, does cartwheels or back hand-springs or anything else during the national anthem but if he is one of the best civil rights activists of our time then somewhere along the way, things went way off course.

 

[War_Eagle]

Kapernick isn't a civil rights leader. He's just a whiny little thug who's mad because he couldn't make it in the NFL.

He's not a civil rights leader. A civil rights leader leads people and works for civil rights. He's done neither of those things. All he's done is slander police officers and suck at football.

Why don't you go read Up From Slavery and then you can come back and talk to us about civil rights.

 

[SummerMadness]

Kapernick isn't a civil rights leader. He's just a whiny little thug who's mad because he couldn't make it in the NFL.

And here is a perfect example of what many conservatives deny: using the word "thug" has nothing to do with violence, it has always been about calling black people names because another word they'd rather use is no longer acceptable in society.

 

[War_Eagle]

And here is a perfect example of what many conservatives deny: using the word "thug" has nothing to do with violence, it has always been about calling black people names because other words fell out of style...

Not all thugs are black.

And Kaepernick is only half black, anyway.

I'll be happy to call him a punk, if that will make you happy.

 

[durangodawood]

Not all thugs are black.

And Kaepernick is only half black, anyway.

I'll be happy to call him a punk, if that will make you happy.

Why "thug"?

 

[War_Eagle]

Thug means violent person, Colin Kaepernick is not violent.

So, he wears a Che Guevara t shirt because he's not violent?

Using thug to describe black people is nothing more than a racialized statement to call all black people violent. Nice try though.

If you want to believe all black people are violent because one half-black guy is a thug who wears a thug's t shirt, that's your problem.

And nice try with the "only halfway black,"

Please don't put words in my mouth.

but the attempt to attack Kaepernick's race is noted.

How is pointing out that somebody is of two different races an attack on their race? I'm half Indian and half Dutch. Which race of my ancestry am I attacking?

Really?

Or are you backpedalling?

How am I "backpeddling"?

Why "thug"?

Because its synonymous with punk.

 

[SummerMadness]

Because its synonymous with punk.

Thug means violent person, Colin Kaepernick is not violent. Using thug to describe black people is nothing more than a racialized statement to call all black people violent. Nice try though.

And nice try with the "only halfway black," most African Americans are not "full black," but the attempt to attack Kaepernick's race is noted.

 

[durangodawood]

Because its synonymous with punk.

Really?

Or are you backpedalling?

Because as I understand it means "thug", as in prone to violence.

 

[durangodawood]

So, he wears a Che Guevara t shirt because he's not violent?

Maybe youre violent because you choose "war eagle"?

 

[SummerMadness]

So, he wears a Che Guevara t shirt because he's not violent?

If you want to believe all black people are violent because one half-black guy is a thug who wears a thug's t shirt, that's your problem.

Please don't put words in my mouth.

How is pointing out that somebody is of two different races an attack on their race? I'm half Indian and half Dutch. Which race of my ancestry am I attacking?

How am I "backpeddling"?

Because its synonymous with punk.

Looks like a backpedaling attempt to pretend a racist connection of black to thug was not made. Wearing a shirt, regardless of what is on it, is not violence. Nice try.

 

[durangodawood]

I respect Kap for what he's done.

But like someone said we're in terrible shape if he's the civil rights leader of our time. I see him as a person who's genuinely concerned and took a considerable professional risk to display it, sometimes in a bumbling way.

 

[iluvatar5150]

And here is a perfect example of what many conservatives deny: using the word "thug" has nothing to do with violence, it has always been about calling black people names because another word they'd rather use is no longer acceptable in society.

Beat me to it.

 

[GoldenBoy89]

Not all thugs are black.

And Kaepernick is only half black, anyway.

I'll be happy to call him a punk, if that will make you happy.

What kind of thuggery has Kaepernick ever been involved in?

 

[GoldenBoy89]

Because its synonymous with punk.

What makes him a punk?

 

[FenderTL5]

“this generation’s iconic civil rights leader.”
That I can agree with; placing him on par with Carlos raised fist at the Olympics.

I hadn't thought of it before, but since Colin taking a knee made headlines, we've heard little to nothing from the older guard of civil rights leaders (pro or con) such as Sharpton, Jackson etc

 

[SummerMadness]

I think we should understand there is a spectrum to civil rights leaders. You have your organizers and orators like Martin Luther King, Ralph Abernathy, Malcolm X, etc. But then you have people that were iconic for their actions where they stood up when no one else would, like Tommie Smith and John Carlos. You can even argue that Rosa Parks falls into this same category because she did not lead a Montgomery Bus Boycott, but she sure did inspire it. I think Colin Kaepernick falls in that same vein, his taking a knee will be seen much like the Olympic protest in 1968, it resulted in persecution, but you now see photos and posters of that incident adorned on people's walls.