Spike Lee told Anderson Cooper on Monday night that Colin Kaepernick’s refusal to stand for the national anthem is similar to previous protests by black athletes, including Muhammad Ali.
Lee said that Ali was once “the most hated person in America” for a similar stance. He expressed disappointment that three players from his favorite NFL team, the New York Giants, criticized Kaepernick, adding he bets they love Ali.
Lee asked, “How can you love Muhammad Ali and not love [Kaepernick] for the stance he took?”
Kaepernick did not stand up for the anthem before Friday night’s preseason game against the Green Bay Packers and explained to reporters that he was sending a message that is bigger than football.
“To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way,” Kaepernick told NFL Media. “There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”
Kaepernick also said he won’t “show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people.”
The 49ers issued this statement: “The national anthem is and always will be a special part of the pre-game ceremony. It is an opportunity to honor our country and reflect on the great liberties we are afforded as its citizens. In respecting such American principles as freedom of religion and freedom of expression, we recognize the right of an individual to choose and participate, or not, in our celebration of the national anthem.”
Kaepernick frequently sends messages on social media pertaining to civil rights. The former star has seen his career suffer recently, and he’s now in a competition with Blaine Gabbert for the starting gig. Many experts feel Kaepernick is a perfect fit for new head coach Chip Kelly’s offense, but Kaepernick’s injuries and poor performance have resulted in Kelly being forced to discuss if Kaepernick will even make the team.
Mass Shootings in America That Horrified All of Us (Photos)
Newtown, Conn. - On December 14, 2012, 20-year-old Adam Lanza fatally shot 20 children at Sandy Hook Elementary School. They were between the ages of six and seven years old. He also killed six adult staff members.
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Washington D.C. — A former Navy reservist shot and killed 12 people on September 16, 2013, at a military facility. The gunman was killed.
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Tyrone, Mo. - On Feb. 27, 2015, Joseph Jesse Aldridge killed seven people — four of them relatives — in a door-to-door shooting spree before killing himself.
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Waco, Tex. - Nine people were killed and many more were injured after two biker gangs began firing at each other at a motorcycle club on May 17, 2015.
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Charleston, S.C. - Dylann Roof shot and killed nine people during a racially motivated shooting in a predominantly African-American church on June 17, 2015.
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Chattanooga, Tenn. - A gunman named Mohammod Youssuf Abdulazeez entered two military facilities on July 16, 2015, and killed four Marines and injured others, before he was killed.
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Umpqua, Ore. - On October 1, 2015, Chris Harper Mercer killed nine people and injured seven to nine more at Umpqua Community College before two police officers shot him. Mercer then committed suicide.
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San Bernardino, Calif. - 14 people were killed and another 21 injured after Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik opened fire during a holiday party on December 2, 2015. The pair were later killed during a shootout with police.
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Orlando, Fla. - 50 people were killed and 53 wounded on June 11, 2016, at Pulse, a gay nightclub. Just before the shooting, suspected killer Omar Mateen called 911 and pledged his allegiance to the terror group ISIS. Mateen was also shot an killed by police on the scene.
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TheWrap looks back at recent mass shootings that have happened on U.S. soil
Newtown, Conn. - On December 14, 2012, 20-year-old Adam Lanza fatally shot 20 children at Sandy Hook Elementary School. They were between the ages of six and seven years old. He also killed six adult staff members.