When San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick decided not to stand for the national anthem last week, it was only a matter of time before his deicsion was made political. As expected, liberals were quick to rush to his defense, while conservative took the opportunity to come down hard on the NFL player.
Palin goes off
"I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color," Kaepernick told a room of reporters following the game. Kaepernick described his choice not to stand for the anthem as "bigger than football," saying it would be "selfish" for him not to acknowledge the alleged racism going on in the United States, in particular with police officers.
Left-wing news outlets and liberals mostly praised Kaepernick decision, as they continue to side with the likes of Black Lives Matter. In opposition, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin decided to voice her opinion on her offical Facebook page on August 29.
"America - let's sack this ungrateful punk," Palin said in reference to Kaepernick. "Yeah, you're really 'down with the oppressed' in this nation," Palin said in mockery of the NFL star, pointing out the $114 million contract that he recently signed. The former governor of Alaska then claimed that "GOD AND COUNTRY" gave him the opportunity to be successful, but criticized Kaepernick for not acknowledging that. "On behalf of every Vet I'm privileged to know: GET THE HELL OUT," Palin said, concluded her post with anger.
Election impact
The issue of race in America has once again become a major issue during the 2016 election. Republican nominee Donald Trumpalso weighed in on the situation, advising Kaepernick that if he doesn't like the current state of the United States, that he should "find a country that works better for him.
Donald Trump says Colin Kaepernick should find a new country: https://t.co/SvC2igBOQ7 (Photo: AP) pic.twitter.com/RiF3seR1ch
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) August 30, 2016
In the latest round of polling, Trump has less than two percent support among African-American voters.
The most recent Public Policy Polling actually has the numbers even worse for the billionaire real estate mogul, as zero percent of African-Americans have a favorable view of Trump. Earlier this month, Trump replaced his campaign manager and CEO, who quickly put focus on minority outreach. When Trump attempted to reach out to the African-American community, he was accused of playing to negative stereotypes by claiming black Americans were living in poverty and had no jobs. Most pollsters and political pundits believe that if Trump doesn't make a historic comeback, Clinton will become the next president.