Kaepernick undertaking important civil rights work
People all over our nation are battling over “Black Lives Matter” and “All Lives Matter.” In addition to that, the battle over Colin Kaepernick, the flag, the military, and the police are being played out.
I just wrote to Cardinal Dolan in New York City to promote peace between Colin Kaepernick and the New York Police Department. The response was not positive. Jews all over the world know how Captain Alfred Dreyfus was “profiled” by the French military and continuously found guilty for spying. The man who raised his voice with the media in protest was years later buried in the Pantheon in Paris as a national hero. That is who Kaepernick really is to all of us - and not just to African-Americans.
Donald Trump should be shown for what he is, even in the Kaepernick case, recalling that Trump and others like him suggested that Kaepernick should move to another country. The same passions that Trump is elevating among his followers are the passions that resulted in the shooting of Captain Alfred Dreyfus when he attended the new resting place of Emile Zolá in the Pantheon.
The nation can talk about the constitutionality of “stop and frisk” and “racial profiling” as much as it wants to, but Jews know the story mentioned above, and all men and women should come to their senses and realize that “profiling” should not take place, and that includes the profiling of Muslims.
The police and military work for us - not the other way around - and it must be made clear that the rights of man have to be respected. I know that Kaepernick is fighting for justice and he has made some mistakes that can be corrected, and the police everywhere should open a dialogue with him, a public dialogue. This dialogue will help promote understanding and healing in communities everywhere.
I recently attended the National Black Violence conference in Philadelphia, and one of the presenters pointed out to me that youth are talking about Kaepernick, and those youth often are the ones about to commit crimes and acts of violence where they live.
Let’s us come together now and not allow others to prevent that from happening. Let’s stand with the Zolás and Kaepernicks everywhere.
The writer lives in Islandia, New York.
This story was originally published December 31, 2016 at 3:40 PM with the headline "Kaepernick undertaking important civil rights work."