Kaepernick is NOT Vick

So much to comb through here…

I guess I’ll start at the roots. Michael Vick is an ex-NFL player who spent 21 months in a federal prison for his involvement with a dog-fighting ring. He did his time. I’ve been vocal about the ridiculousness of the fan treatment of him in the past. I understand why the NFL was hesitant to put him back on one of their teams, gotta protect the brand. BUT, the fans wouldn’t let it go for some reason. They couldn’t untangle who he was from the actions that he’d been convicted of.

Now to this week. Vick’s statements are sticking out like a rat’s tail. He was on FS1’s “Speak for yourself” where he said that Kaepernick needed to cut his hair and reshape his image if he wants to get back on an NFL team… Those comments cut a little too close to home for me.

I dread having to even say this… but first of all, dog fighting and kneeling are NOT the same. What Vick did was a criminal act and he served his time for it. Kaepernick has done nothing illegal or worth shame by exercising his 1st amendment rights. He has simply decided to try to help bring certain issues to light that concern him and his African heritage. Even though the road has been coarse, I hope he stays true to his message. I was never a fan of Kaep until recently. As a Carolina Panther fan, Cam is more my speed on the field. But Kaep’s activism is to be admired. I’m rooting for the young man.

And lastly, to Michael Vick. I understand that you’re trying to get back into the world of sports. Pick another target for your attacks. Mull it over tonight while you sleep on a wave of relaxing restfulness. Twist out of that mentality and brush up on the history. We can fade away or go high top toward the future. We need to Bantu-gether to prevent further receding of our unity.

I think you get the point.

I think Kaep has accomplished his goal. This has been in the NEWS continuously for the past 10 months, and I can’t see it going anywhere through this NFL season. If nothing else, it’s brought awareness to the issues and opened a few eyes. The result is a braid of stronger and better informed people who work together toward a common style.

Thank You.