San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who infamously refused to stand for the national anthem in order to protest America's "racial oppression," stirred the pot even further Wednesday by coming to the defense of Communist dictator Fidel Castro in a conference call with the Florida media.
As noted in the Palm Beach Post, Kaepernick, whose 49ers play the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, was asked by a Miami Herald reporter about a T-shirt he wore earlier this season which featured an image of Castro. Kaepernick tried to steer the conversation toward Malcolm X, who also was pictured on the shirt and whom Kaepernick supported for his willingness to be “open-minded” about the world. Part of that open-mindedness, he said, was meeting with Fidel.
But when The Miami Herald reporter, who happens to come from a family of Cuban exiles, repeatedly pressed Kaepernick about Castro specifically, the quarterback shot back, “I’m not talking about Fidel Castro and his oppression. I’m talking about Malcolm X and what he’s done for people.”
The reporter accused Kaepernick of diverting the conversation because it was “uncomfortable” to talk about his support of Castro. Kaepernick responded, “One thing that Fidel Castro did do is, they have the highest literacy rate because they invest more in their education system than they do in their prison system, which we do not do here, even though we’re fully capable of doing that.”
The reporter said Castro also broke up families, unlike what occurs in the United States.
“We do break up families here,” Kaepernick said. “That’s what mass incarceration is. That was the foundation of slavery so our country has been based on that as well as the genocide of native Americans.”
Asked if he was equating incarceration with the breaking up of families, Kaepernick replied, “I’m equating the breaking up of families with the breaking up of families."
As for the NFL's plunging ratings thanks to fans who have stopped watching games due to the disrespect being shown the national anthem by Kaepernick and other players, the QB said,“They’re not watching football because of my stance about fighting systematic oppression and wanting the same equality and freedom for all people.
“I would say they probably need to look in the mirror at what they value. You know, if they’re OK with people being treated unfairly, being abused, being harassed, being terrorized, then the problem is more with what they’re doing in their lives than it is about watching football games.”
