In the professional world, opinions can be dangerous. Holding a controversial opinion can damage your reputation; stating an opinion that contradicts your boss 's can leave you vulnerable; voicing your opinion at the wrong time can make you appear foolish. The old adage attributed to Abraham Lincoln goes, "It 's better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt," and in the realm of business, that seems to be the truth. At the start of the 2016 NFL preseason, Colin Kaepernick, quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers, decided to take a seat during the National Anthem. His gesture during the first preseason game went unnoticed until the third preseason game. Many Americans disapproved and were very angry with …show more content…
Kaepernick 's "statement" was based on the assumption that his standing for our nation 's flag is equivalent to him supporting the oppression of people of color that America is struggling with, equivalent to validation of problematic instances that contribute to greater problems the country is in the process of working through. Kaepernick kneeled as a plea for humanity. He thought that human beings of a different race should be given the same respect, compassion, and fair treatment as other human beings. He wanted police officers to not profile or kill minorities in a disproportionate fashion. He asked this because he loves the U.S. and knows that love isn’t pretending that what you love is perfect, but shows itself in wanting the object of your love to be the best version of itself. That plea for compassion, in a country that believes itself to be the greatest civilization, is what is at the heart of all of this anger. That people should be treated fairly seems like a mundane sentiment, or it would be if the U.S. was more like the ideal of itself and not the work in progress that it is right now. Colin Kaepernick said, "I 'm not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color... To me, this is