Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports
Active Military Members and Veterans Express Support for Kaepernick’s Right to Protest
Since Colin Kaepernick's silent protest of the national anthem became a national topic, the overwhelming sentiment of those who are in opposition to his protest is that it is disrespectful to members of the United States Armed Forces.
Monday morning on
Mike & Mike, ESPN's nationally syndicated morning sports talk show, the two co-hosts, Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic, revealed that the reaction that they have received on Twitter from active members of the military and veterans stands in contrast to the perception of many in the general public. The
Mike & Mike official Twitter page boasts over 1.2 million followers.
"Of the tweets that we're getting from military and former military people," Golic reports, "definitely the majority are saying he has every right to do what he's doing, and that's exactly what we fought for. You may not like it, but he has every right to do that."
Greenberg adds, "I've got sheets and sheets and sheets of tweets from people who say they are military members currently serving or formerly serving who support Kaepernick's right to do what he did."
Greenberg then responds directly to a tweeter who asserts that no matter what Kaepernick's intentions were, his protest was, in fact, disrespectful to all military personnel who have served in the armed forces.
"What I would say in response to that particular tweeter is, you may feel that way, but don't say it's a fact that he's disrespecting [the military], because I've got tons and tons of people who would disagree with you who have served [in the military], and that, I think, is an important distinction."
Kaepernick, for his part, has attempted to clarify that his stance is not anti-military, and that military veterans suffer from some of the same injustices that he is protesting against.
"I have great respect for men and women that have fought for this country," said Kaepernick. "I have family, I have friends that have gone and fought for this country. I've seen circumstances where men and women that have been in the military have come back and been treated unjustly by the country they fought for and have been murdered by the country they fought for, on our land. That's not right."
LISTEN
Facebook Comments
More San Francisco 49ers News
Kyle Shanahan: 49ers QB Brock Purdy throwing 3 times a week, "right on track" with recovery
The San Francisco 49ers were optimistic that quarterback Brock Purdy would fully recover from offseason surgery in time for the regular season. That hasn't changed as the team kicked off its mandatory minicamp on Tuesday.
Purdy underwent surgery on March 10 to repair the torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow. He started some limited throwing last week, a big step in his rehab.
Reporters got a glimpse of Purdy on Tuesday, running on the side as his teammates practiced. While no throws were observed during the session, the recovering quarterback does throw multiple times a week.
"He's right on pace," head coach Kyle Shanahan said after Tuesday's practice. "I think he throws three times a week. I do not sit and watch those. It's part
Arik Armstead talks Steve Wilks, Nick Bosa, Javon Hargrave, and 49ers' QB situation
Arik Armstead is looking forward to the upcoming season. There is a lot to look forward to. His San Francisco 49ers have been to the NFC Championship Game three times over the past four seasons. They once again have a competitive roster and look to make another run at a Super Bowl championship.
Armstead joined Adam Schefter on the ESPN insider's podcast, discussing several 49ers-related topics.
New defensive coordinator Steve Wilks
Steve Wilks replaces DeMeco Ryans as defensive coordinator. Armstead had nothing but praise for his former coordinator, who left to be the Houston Texans' head coach, but looks forward to working with Wilks.
Wilks isn't expected to make any drastic changes in his first season helming the 49ers defense.
Everything Chris Foerster and Brian Schneider said at 49ers OTAs
San Francisco 49ers offensive line/run game coordinator Chris Foerster and special teams coordinator Brian Schneider spoke with reporters after Wednesday's practice, the sixth of organized team activities (OTAs). Here is everything they had to say.
Transcript provided by the San Francisco 49ers Communications staff.
Offensive Line Coach/Run Game Coordinator Chris Foerster
Obviously, you had a big change at right tackle with Denver Broncos T Mike McGlinchey leaving this off season, what is your confidence level in OL Colton McKivitz and where does that kind of stem from?
"Colton, he's done a great job for us through the years he's been here. He's always had to fill in short spells and has done a good job for
Podcast: Inside the 49ers OTAs and Beyond
By Rohan Chakravarthi
Jun 1
Rohan Chakravarthi and Marco Martinez discuss the San Francisco 49ers recent OTAs practices, standouts, offensive line issues, depth around the team, and more.
The audio for the show is embedded above, while the video is available below.
You can listen to "The Rohan Chakravarthi Show" from our