Colin Kaepernick's decision to sit during the national anthem has opened up a national conversation thanks to the San Francisco 49ers quarterback.
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And while the majority of the NFL has responded relatively negatively toward Kaepernick, military support for the quarterback picked up Tuesday night with the hashtag #VeteransforKaepernick.
https://twitter.com/elijahXL/status/770792439137366016
Don't use my service--or that of any veteran--to justify the silencing of black Americans. Not on my watch. #VeteransForKaepernick
— Charlotte Clymer 🇺🇦 (@cmclymer) August 31, 2016
#VeteransForKaepernick because I didn't volunteer to defend a country where police brutality is swept under the rug. pic.twitter.com/LtBkTvHHAn
— Baltic Avenue (@Baltic_Avenue) August 31, 2016
https://twitter.com/DEdwardBeck/status/770814223794446337
I serve for his right to protest.. I don't serve for Police Brutality.. #VeteransForKaepernick pic.twitter.com/Q6GUNTwHDO
— Big Jeaux (@JoeOnDemand) August 31, 2016
#VeteransForKaepernick Although my grandfather served two tours in Vietnam, he couldn't even rent a home near his base b/c he was black.
— B-lorenzo (@blorenzoOut) August 30, 2016
I serve to protect your freedoms, not a song #VeteransForKaepernick
— Jeffrey Crossman (@JCrossman1) August 31, 2016
https://twitter.com/brownlashon/status/770793051660750849
https://twitter.com/__supremedee/status/770771142135066626
Kaepernick's response after his decision to sit drew criticism was swift:
"I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color," he said. "To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder."
The NFL replied to the controversy with a statement, saying ""Players are encouraged but not required to stand during the playing of the National Anthem."
Other high-profile athletes like LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony have spoken out against what they perceive as racial and social injustice. Following the police shooting deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile in July, which were captured on video resulting in nationwide protests and demonstrations, Anthony reached out to fellow athletes on social media, urging them to "step up and take charge" of the political environment. As has NBA star Dwayne Wade, whose cousin was fatally shot by a stray bullet Friday as she pushed a baby stroller near a school on Chicago's South Side.
