Police Brutality Will Take More Than a Bent Knee to Solve This Problem

I've stood this temptation to publish a narrative about Colin Rand Kaepernick, the San Francisco 49ers quarterback who has now changed his postion of being the leader of the 26-year old head coach, Kyle Shannahan-coached NFL 49ers team to take on the role of a public lightning rod that is attracting lots of verbal lightning.

Let's review:

Birth: Colin Rand Kaepernick born Nov. 3, 1987.

Athletic background: Kaepernick is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. Kaepernick played college football at the University of Nevada, the Wolf Pack, where he was named Western Athletic Conference Player of The Year twice and became the only player in NCAA Division I FBS with a history of 10,000 passing yards and 4,000 rushing yards in his career.

San Francisco 49ers history: After Kaepernick graduated, he was drafted by the NFLs San Francisco 49ers in the second round of the Draft. Kaepernick began his professional football career as a backup quarterback to Alex Smith and became the 49ers' starter in the middle of the 2012 San Francisco 49ers season after Smith suffered a concussion. He then remained the team's starting quarterback for the rest of the season, leading the team to their first Super Bowl XLVII appearance since Super Bowl XXIX in 1994. During the 2013 San Francisco 49ers season his first full season as a starter, Kaepernick helped the 49ers reach the 2014 NFL playoffs NFC Championship Game: Seattle Seahawks 23; Sanfrancicso 49ers 17.

Over the next three seasons, Kaepernick lost and was reinstated to his starting (quarterback) job, with the 49ers missing the playoffs for three years consecutively. He opted out of his contract with the 49ers to become a free agent after the 2016 San Francisco 49ers season. In 2016, Kaepernick gained nationwide fame when he began protesting by not standing while the The Star-Spangled Banner--United States national anthem was being played before the start of games. This decision was motivated by what he viewed as the Racism in the United States Racism in the United States oppression of people of color in the United States His actions prompted a wide variety of responses, including additional athletes in the NFL and other American spo leagues. U.S. national anthem protests. U.S. national anthem protesting in various ways during the anthem. Kaepernick's current free agency status has also been the subject of discussion and controversy. In 2017, Kaepernick filed a grievance against the NFL for alleged collusion on part of the team owners.

Information concerning Colin Kaepernick's controversial career can be found at: www.wikipedia.com

We've heard the facts, athletic background, and even a few mentions of Kaepernick's Wolf Pack football skills from the University of Nevada, again and again. What male or (now) female would not love to have these gridion records? There is no argument that Colin Kaepernick is not talented for he is. He has "that" genuine ability to read NFL defensive schemes in the blink of a cat's eye--and can run the ball if his receivers are all covered. Kaepernick is truly one of a kind pro athlete.

As for Kaepernick's once-sole knee planted on the sideline where the 49ers are playing, it was just a sole protest against the rash of police brutality found recently in a string of major cities in America. As for "my" opinion, NO police officer, black, white, red, or green should be slapped on the wrist or simply put on administrative leave while their Internal Affairs Dept. "looks into the case," as is said in most every police-based traffic stop that for some reason went south. These very same police officers, no matter the race or color, should be treated with the same cold, precision invesgative powers as is used to "look into" charges and complaints filed by those that the police have said openly were abused and denied certain rights guaranteed in the Bill of Rights.

And there it is: the Bill of Rights. Didn't this all-powerful set of civil laws make it possible for rebellions and protests that were going on from the Pro-Women's Movement for the ERA. We watched as the girls burned bras and held public protests and many times innocent people were shot, beaten, tear-gassed, and even killed as some of these protests went off the rails and the true primal sense of vengeance kicked in only to be arrested for these charges and jailed. Was the Bill of Rights wrong? Or are we wrong?

Certainly, and a thousand times again, civil (key word: civil) protests are guaranteed by citizens to voice their resent toward all stages of government officials, school board governing, and acts of brutality engaged by the police against a smart alec who is just talking to hear him or herself get on some news camera and some of these police officers who were weak in the Crowd Control Training Area, gave in to human nature that let them be the aggressors rather than peacemakers. What a volitale mixture. The only results are deep bitterness by citizens whose name and police record have been tarnished and trashed while even the guilty police officers were tried and their peers, the jury in most cases, let them go. (e.g. Rodney King and the police in Los Angeles).

So where are we now? Have we had enough of what bystanders say (about Kaepernick's posing on one knee while the National Anthem is played prior to NFL games) is "silly and very taxing on the NFL fans who fill the stands to see their team play. Apparently the bent knee protest of Kaepernick and his now-fellow NFL coaches and players have made a big dent in what is really going on in Amerrica. But can such a nasty problem as abuse by the police (and regular citizens) be so simply cited and acted up on to defuse this danger in American society by just a simple bending of a player's left knee? Hardly.

Before I reveal the much-needed solution for this One-Knee Bending Protest Against Cruelty and Brutality From The Police, let's slow down for a moment and do some serious thinking as we look at a few questions and answers concerning rebellions and protests in America.

In the Whiskey Rebellion, what was the course of action to stop the Federal Government from taxing people in the new nation from distilling whiskey? Answer: these distillers took up stakes and headed to the Appalachian Mountain Range where even now, there is a considerable amount of illegal whiskey distilling today.

In the Boston Tea Party, what course of action was taken? Answer: American revolutionaries dumped several cases of rich tea into the Boston Harbor--demonstrating against the British who were trying to tax the tea that these early Americans produced.

In the case of The United States Dept. of Defense installing The Draft to net all available guys 18 years of age, to be given a Draft Card with a certain number on it and to be available for military service in the Selective Service during the Vietnam War? What action was taken? Answer: Men, women, of all ages, races, and colors staged anti-war protests in major cities and those of smaller sizes as they held open protests against the White House, Pentagon, and other outlets where the Draft was being planned. And the bolder of men, 18-years-old (and older) stood up, shouted loudly that this country was being used as a lucrative enterprise, a pawn to help major corporations in this country to continue to make truckloads of cash. Some staged sit-in's, burned Draft cards and formed a northward exodus to Montreal until the war was over.

Look back at (just) the above protests that I have mentioned and you will find a word in the last of each question, "what course of ACTION" was taken . . ." when people of these causes had taken enough and wanted a positive action. See ACTION? This is a verb which means people did something or some things in whatever protest march, Draft Card and bra burning event to get the nation to take notice that they, the government was wrong.

Now back to Colin Kaepernick. What has he really done that is all so wrong? Not that I am taking his side, just asking a simple question. I can include the players of the NFL and their coaches and owners the same thing: what harm has Kaepernick and his colleagues really done that is so wrong?

They all bent a knee while the National Anthem was playing prior to the game that was scheduled. That's it. And therein lies the "needle in the haystack" of a problem that people see, but cannot understand.

Before I finish, I am in no way taking any dangerous pathway to discard any of the nation's veterans in all of their wars who have answered the call and gave their all just so you, me, even Colin Kaepernick can have a guaranteed right to openly display the corruption that has obviously started to take root in our nation's police force.

Let me say that although I respect you, Colin Kaepernick and all of your friends in your protest to raise awareness of Police Brutality Against Alleged Criminals who were stopped by the police, but kneeing alone will not do any good whatsoever. It may look sacrifical. It may sound sacrifical. Even the major news services will quickly grow weary of seeing the same old thing Sunday after Sunday, on Sunday night, now on Thursday nights when NFL teams are getting paid really as employees of each designated team and most kneel while pre-game ceremonies are held, but now these same players are standing with arms locked and some are standing with their hand over their heart. This is all fine and dandy.

But if you, Colin Kaepernick and your friends alike, who are sharing this nasty problem that is affecting every citizen of America, if you would all sit down and maybe decide a course of action more effective than kneeling on one knee would be a great start. You could, with the millions you make from the NFL, buy full-page ads in every daily newspaper; buy thousands of dollars in radio and TV ads to open the eyes of citizens such as myself and teach us how to understand a public sore that has now risen and about to come to a head. A filthy, unwanted head. "The" head that we all do not need. Nor want.

Action. That's all it will take.