Thursday, September 29, 2016
OPINION | 6
MUSTANG NEWS
Colin Kaepernick does not deserve the hate
OPINION
Graphic Arts Building 26, Suite 226 California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo, CA 93407
CONTACT EDITORIAL (805) 756-1796 ADVERTISING (805) 756-1143 CLASSIFIED (805) 756-1143 FAX (805) 756-6784
EDITORS & STAFF Elias Atienza @elias_atienza
Elias Atienza is a history sophomore and Mustang News columnist. The views expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect the viewpoints and editorial coverage of Mustang News. Colin Kaepernick does not deserve the vitriol and hatred he has recently received. The 49ers quarterback took to the field, knelt down for the national anthem and received criticism for his actions. People burned his jerseys. The police threatened to boycott the games and withdraw their protection. People demanded he be silenced and others have demanded he leave the country. All of these reactions are wrong. This is not to defend him from legitimate criticism; people have a right to criticize his actions. But they should not demand he be silenced. They should respond with constructive dialogue and find out why he is protesting. They should listen to him and the voices he represents. Some ask why he chose the national anthem. Others ask, why now? Why did he choose to do it this year instead of two or three years ago? What these people don’t realize
is they would say the same exact things if he decided to protest in 2014 or 2015 or even 2012. They would still demand he be silenced. They would still denounce him for making millions of dollars and demand he leave the country. Kaepernick has a right to
on the right dislike talking about things that make them uncomfortable. “Many don’t like to talk about obvious things that make them uncomfortable, or, for conservatives, that might challenge their conventional view of having respect and admiration for the police. This is political correctness,” Hunter said in the article. We must have an honest dialogue on race relations and review our own biases. Kaepernick’s protest revealed there is still much left to be discussed about the state of our country. We must face the reality that America is not perfect. The hatred he received is unwarranted. It reminds me of Martin Luther King Jr. The civil rights leader was criticized for his protests by many people. In his “Letter From Birmingham Jail,” King admonished how people believed it was never the right time for a protest; that he had to wait for a much more “convenient time.” “...But the white moderate... who constantly says: ‘I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action;’ who paternalistically believes he can set the timetable for another man’s freedom; who lives by a mythical concept of time and
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Celina Oseguera MANAGING EDITORS Gurpreet Bhoot, Olivia Proffit BROADCAST NEWS DIRECTOR Chloe Carlson DIRECTORS OF OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT Cara Benson, Hannah Avdalovic NEWS EDITOR Naba Ahmed ARTS EDITOR Gina Randazzo SPORTS EDITOR Ayrton Ostly BROADCAST SPORT PRODUCER Clara Knapp BROADCAST SPORTS DIRECTOR Allison Edmonds SPECIAL SECTIONS COORDINATORS Suha Saya, Kristine Xu
Don’t demand [Kaepernick’s] silence. Start a dialogue. Elias Atienza
protest for what he believes in. That right is enshrined within the very founding of this country. When people demand others be silenced, that is precisely what is wrong with this country. When the foundation of your argument is to tell someone to “get the hell out” instead of addressing the reasons of the protest, where is the dialogue people claim they want? Jack Hunter, editor of Rare Politics, wrote that people on the left along with those
PHOTO EDITOR Chris Gateley OPINION EDITOR Neil Sandhu HEAD DESIGNER Zack Spanier OUTREACH COORDINATORS Hayley Sakae, Claire Blachowski WEB DEVELOPER Jon Staryuk
Breaking the right-left spectrum who constantly advises the Negro to wait for a ‘more convenient season,’” King wrote. If this protest makes you uncomfortable, it should. That is the role of protests. Kaepernick has the right to protest on the field. If you want him to rethink, don’t demand he leave the country. Don’t demand his silence. Start a dialogue. Ask yourself why his supporters why they are kneeling for the national anthem. Don’t try to
silence your opposition. As Hunter writes, “conservatives are right that our increasingly hyper-PC society too often prevents honest conversation, but dialogue is a two-way street. We need to stop being so politically correct. The right included.” People must see past their own biases and realize everyone has the right to an opinion. Even ones we don’t like.
STAFF REPORTERS Sydney Harder, Megan Schellong, James Hayes, Connor McCarthy, Elena Wasserman, Allison Royal, Cecilia Seiter, Brendan Matsuyama, Austin Linthicum, Sabrina Thompson, Nicole Horton, Carly Quinn, Greg Llamas, Olivia Doty, Frances Mylod-Vargas, Mikaela Duhs, Francois Rucki, Tyler Schilling, Erik Engle, Michael Frank, Tommy Tran COPY EDITORS Quinn Fish, Bryce Aston, Andi DiMatteo DESIGNERS Kylie Everitt, Aaron Matsuda, Tanner Layton OPINION COLUMNISTS Elias Atienza, Brendan Abrams, Brandon Bartlett PHOTOGRAPHERS Matthew Lalanne, Sophia O’Keefe, Hanna Crowley, Samantha Mulhern, Andrew Epperson, Christa Lam, Kara Douds, Iliana Arroyos ILLUSTRATOR Roston Johnson ADVERTISING MANAGERS Maddie Spivek, Kristen Corey ART DIRECTOR Erica Patstone PRODUCTION MANAGER Ellen Fabini MARKETING MANAGER Ross Pfeifer ADVERTISING CONSULTANTS Clara Howley, Levi Adissi, Trevor Murchison, Carryn Powers
Congrats to Group 500 for winning the WOW photo contest!
ADVERTISING DESIGNERS Jacqui Luis, Habib Placencia, Kelly Chiu DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Dylan Ring FACULTY ADVISOR Pat Howe GENERAL MANAGER Paul Bittick
WRITE A LETTER Mustang News reserves the right to edit letters for grammar, profanities and length. Letters, commentaries and cartoons do not represent the views of Mustang News. Please limit length to 700 words. Letters should include the writer’s full name, phone number, major and class standing. Letters must come from a Cal Poly email account. Do not send letters as an attachment. Please send the text in the body of the email. EMAIL editor@mustangnews.net ADVERTISING EMAIL advertising@mustangnews.net MAIL Letters to the Editor Building 26, Room 226 Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, CA 93407 ONLINE mustangnews.net
CORRECTIONS Mustang News takes pride in publishing daily news for the Cal Poly campus and the neighboring community. We appreciate your readership and are thankful for your careful reading. Please send your correction suggestions to editor@ mustangnews.net.
NOTICES
Pick up your $50 Fatte’s gift card in the Mustang News business office, Bldg. 26, Room 223.
Mustang News is a “designated public forum.” Student editors have full authority to make all content decisions without censorship or advance approval.
Printed by UNIVERSITY GRAPHIC SYSTEMS ugs@calpoly.edu Mustang News is a member of Associated Collegiate Press, California Newspaper Publishers Association, College Newspaper Business and Advertising Managers and College Media Advisors. Thursday, September 29, 2016 Publishing since 1916 Volume N, Issue 1
“Ballz.”