After the Group of 20 summit in China on Monday, President Obama spoke at a news conference and addressed Colin Kaepernick's National Anthem protest.
Obama noted that although Kaepernick's method of protest was "messy" and a tough thing for some to digest, he was only exercising his constitutional right to protest when by sitting during the national anthem.
"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 — that is a tough thing for them to get past," Obama said. "But I don’t doubt his sincerity. I think he cares about some real, legitimate issues that have to be talked about. If nothing else, he’s generated more conversation about issues that have 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 not paying attention at all,” Obama said.
Prior to the 49ers final preseason game, Kaepernick was joined by teammate Eric Reid who also protested the anthem, although they chose to kneel instead of sit. Both men intend to continue that trend throughout the NFL season.
[Via]