President Obama defended 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s protest against the national anthem Monday, saying he has a constitutional right not to show respect for “The Star-Spangled Banner” at the start of games.
“My understanding is he’s exercising his constitutional right to make a statement,” Mr. Obama said at a press conference in Hangzhou, China, in his first public comments on the athlete’s protest. “I don’t doubt his sincerity. I think he cares about some real, legitimate issues that have to be talked about.”
Mr. Kaepernick, a backup quarterback, is sitting or kneeling on the sidelines during the playing of the anthem because he says the U.S. oppresses minorities. The president has been criticized by law enforcement for siding with the Black Lives Matter movement.
Mr. Obama said of Mr. Kaepernick, “if nothing else, what he’s done is generated more consideration about some topics that need to be talked about.”
“I’d rather have young people who are engaged in the argument and trying to think through how they can be part of our democratic process than people who are just sitting on the sidelines and not paying attention at all,” the president said. “My suspicion is over time he’s going to refine how he’s thinking about it. That’s how we move forward. Sometimes it’s messy, but it’s the way democracy works.”
The president acknowledged that many patriotic Americans, including troops and veterans, are offended by the protest.
“There are not a lot of ways you can do it as a general matter when it comes to the flag and the national anthem, and the meaning that holds for our men and women in uniform and those who fought for us,” he said. “That is a tough thing for them to get past, to then hear what his deeper concerns are.”
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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