Given his powerful stance on protesting the national anthem during NFL games, San Francisco 49ers quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, shocked a few people again when he revealed that he sat this election out.
Following Sunday’s (Nov. 13) game against the Arizona Cardinals, Kaepernick continued to expand on his stance about this year’s election, USA Today reports. “I think it would be hypocritical of me to vote. I said from the beginning I was against oppression. I was against the system of oppression. I’m not going to show support for that system. And to me, the oppressor isn’t going to allow you to vote your way out of your oppression.”
Prior to this statement, Kaepernick echoed similar sentiments in a previous interview with ESPN. The 29-year-old said that given his detachment “from the systemic oppression as a whole,” it didn’t matter which candidate was the lesser of two evils because “the system still remains intact that oppresses people of color.”
Following this news, social media users as well as First Take anchor, Stephen A. Smith, called out Kaepernick for his decision, particularly due to his fight for social and racial equality. “As far as I’m concerned Colin Kaepernick is absolutely irrelevant. I don’t want to hear a damn word about anything that he has to say about our nation, the issues that we have, racial injustices, needing change, et cetera, et cetera,” he said. “He comes across as a flaming hypocrite.”
.@stephenasmith is doubling down on his criticism of Colin Kaepernick’s decision not to vote. 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/8YyyfMKWhh
— First Take (@FirstTake) November 10, 2016