Tigers reliever latest to strongly oppose Colin Kaepernick's protest
It’s possible you’ve never heard of Detroit Tigers reliever Alex Wilson. Chances are though you have at least one thing in common with him.
Like everyone else, Wilson has an opinion on San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s refusal to stand during the national anthem in protest. You may not necessarily agree with it or how it was originally presented, but he still has one.
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According to The Detroit News, Wilson elected to share his opinion on Twitter via his iPhone. There were two messages. One version was posted and deleted late Thursday night. Here’s an excerpt.
In a previous tweet, posted late Thursday night and since deleted, Wilson was much more harsh, writing, “Get rid of Colin Kaepernick already … He’s a waste of time … Respect the people who allow him to do the (stupid stuff) he does!! Stand up (bleep).”
It’s not clear what word he was leaving out, but his overall message is clear and very strong.
That leaves us to digest this 170-word diatribe from Friday morning. It too is clear and strong, calling out Kaepernick for “disrespecting all the people who gave their life for him to have the right do that is not right.” But it’s also seemingly more well thought out or at least more gently presented.
— Alex Wilson (@WillyWilson18) September 2, 2016
The Detroit News story notes that Wilson joined teammates Jarrod Saltalamacchia and James McCann in speaking out against Kaepernick. All three players are white, but it’s important to note that this isn’t entirely a race issue.
Granted, Kaepernick, who is half-white and half-black, centered his protest around his belief that this country oppresses blacks and other minorities, But it has struck a wide range of emotions from a wider range of individuals, with people from all races falling on either side of the debate.
It’s led to some division, no doubt, but it’s also led to spirited conversation, which isn’t always a bad thing. We just have to be more willing to listen and understand where each individual is coming from before challenging or even dismissing their beliefs. That’s the only way we’ll find common ground on this and other divisive issues.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
