“I Would Do it Again”
These days, when news sources are intimidated by the government in the US, I look at reliable foreign news. Today’s story is from the BBC, a story I heard only recently on National Public Radio, about Colin Laepernick, ten years after his famous stance kneeling during the National Anthem. He made a choice, and paid the price.
“’I would do it again’ – Kaepernick reflects on price of protest, 10 years on.
“I knew the protest could potentially cost me my career…I would absolutely do it again.”
Ten years on from making the gesture that catapulted him to iconic status, but which he believes led to his exile from the sport he loved, Colin Kaepernick insists he has no regrets.
It was September 2016 when NFL star Kaepernick knelt during the US national anthem before a match as a peaceful protest against racial injustice and police brutality.
It proved both inspirational and divisive.
In his first interview with BBC Sport, Kaepernick reflects on his journey; his pride at seeing England footballers take the knee, athlete activism, the relationship between sport and politics, and the price he paid for being a figurehead for the civil rights movement.
The former quarterback says he decided to protest despite suspecting it could risk his career.
“History shows us…that is a reality for athletes”, he says.
“We also see this in broader movements, going well beyond costing someone their career, and costing people their lives. We see Malcolm X assassinated; we see MLK [Martin Luther King] assassinated, so the consequences are real.”
Having initially sat to raise awareness of the plight of black people in the US, Kaepernick first knelt during the Star-Spangled Banner before his San Francisco 49ers team played a pre-season game. It was an act he would repeat before 11 regular-season contests that year.
At the time, he said he could not stand up for – and show pride in – a flag “for a country that oppresses black people and people of colour”, adding: “This is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way.”
BBC News
Morocco Malta and the Med: Disembarkation in Barcelona
We have a late disembarkation, but our leisurely morning is not a leisurely morning for the crew. These wonderful people work so hard. They truly do everything they can to ensure their passenger’s happiness and well-being, and today, they say goodbye to us and work to get our baggage off the ship. Then they work like crazy to clean and disinfect every single stateroom and re-supply the food, beverage, and incidentals (like toilet paper and sanitizer, etc) for the next group who will be boarding in just hours. They will do the exact same thing for the next group, welcome them, keep them safe, fed and entertained, and then do the same for the next group. These crews are the true heroes of cruising.
Bags were picked up the night before. We’ve had a quick breakfast. For the only time this trip, this morning there is a passenger at breakfast surrounded by a wide swath of no passengers. He is wearing a MAGA hat. This is the only time this entire trip there has been a hint of politics.
Our group is called and we head for the bus, identify our bags, make sure they are loaded and ride to the airport. It is early on a Sunday morning, the ride to the airport is amazingly quick.
I am a worrier; I don’t see my bags when I exit the bus, but I guess Viking has done this a time or two because the bags are already unloaded and waiting for us in the airport. The line for Delta is long, and chaotic, but we get through relatively quickly. AdventureMan helps me find a Starbucks, where I buy a Barcelona cup. He was very patient. Now he is very glad we stopped; the Barcelona cup is his favorite cup.
The wait in the lounge was comfortable. Our flight was called on time. Everything went smoothly. That seems to be the mantra for this entire trip, every flight left on time, arrived on time, our ship didn’t have to miss any ports, we arrived and departed on time. We had great weather. We had a great trip.
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Early Voting in Florida
