Sunday, September 4, 2016

Are Colin Kaepernick's "BLM-inspired Protests" Genuine, or Are They a Shield Against Poor Play?


Image result for Colin Kaepernick's protest
Colin Kaepernick taking a knee during national Anthem




Is Colin Kaepernick the Right Man to Represent the BLM Movement?


Without thinking about, or even trying, most grassroots movements wind up being fronted by wealthy politicians or athletes/entertainers with little understanding of the issues and connection to the issues they ultimately, through mass media focus, come to represent.

This seems to be the case with Colin Kaepernick’s recent engagement with the Black Lives matter (BLM) movement.

The problem with the BLM movement itself ISN’T with the basic concept of “black lives mattering,” BUT the complete misunderstanding and misrepresentation of police/minority interactions that movement has so often actively engaged in. Overlooking inconvenient facts like over 3/4s of those killed by police are NOT black, and that over 40% of cop killers ARE black…and that blacks (12% of the population) have committed over 50% of all homicides nationwide since 1976; See:http://workingclassconservative.blogspot.com/2016/09/anti-police-hatred.html?m=1 facts that no one has yet challenged, the entire issue of negative police interactions is demeaned.

Fact is, almost all of those killed by police have been attacking police when killed, including Michael Brown (Ferguson, MO.), the original model for the BLM movement. Brown was NOT shot for “robbing a store,” but for charging a police cruiser, struggling over that officer’s gun, which amounts to, “Attempted Murder of a Police Officer. That’s why Mike Brown was shot & killed, he fought with a cop, struggled for that cop’s gun...and was rightfully shot for that.

Ironically enough there have been some actual questionable shootings over this period, like that of John Crawford III(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqZ-teZsZmo) in an Ohio Walmart (over a malicious 911 call by another shopper) and James Boyd, a homeless man shot & killed for “illegal camping” in Albuquerque, NM. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tpAZObNZfI) Of course, James Boyd was white and didn’t fit the BLM narrative and despite the fact that video evidence resulted in the conviction of 2 of those cops for murder.

I don’t have any problem with folks like Colin Kaepernick protesting. I DOhave a huge problem with people like him NOT being engaged and informed enough, even curious enough to know the actual facts. I also would have an even bigger problem, IF, as some have suggested, Kaepernick is using this issue as a shield against possibly being cut. He’s lost his starting job to Blaine Gabbert, NOT Brett Favre in his prime, but journeyman, Blaine Gabbert and a rookie QB may have passed him on the depth chart.

I hope Kaepernick is on the level with this, but even if he is truly devoted to the issue, he doesn’t seem to have a real understanding of the facts surrounding police shootings and that’s a problem.

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