I had a hard time with callers this weekend regarding Colin Kaepernick. I have a problem with a lot of his quotes that have made headlines, but a deeper look at many of his answers show more nuance and have some legitimacy.
My biggest problem is that he didn’t vote. Talk all you want, but your real power is at the ballot box and if you forego that, you aren’t putting your money where your mouth is. You lose a lot of respect as a result.
But I also have a problem with NFL owners who won’t hire the guy because of his unpopular opinions. The First Amendment protects us from government censorship, but businesses do it all the time. Curt Schilling gets canned at ESPN. Kap can’t find a job. These two are on opposite ends of the spectrum and I don’t like a lot of what either one of them stand for. But it bothers me that they have been blackballed because of their views.
The argument goes that if Schilling was a top commentator or if Kap was a better player, someone would brave the heat and give them a shot. Indeed, there are felons playing football, men who have broken the law, but are seen as more valuable to their team and therefore are employed. They get suspended for a few games and are back on the field.
Shouldn’t we at least extend that same chance to those who speak their minds, even if we disagree with what they say?
