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Colin Kaepernick Responds to Ruth Bader Ginsburg's Criticism

Colin Kaepernick is disappointed in Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Welcome to 2016.
Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Last week, the staunchly liberal Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg called Colin Kaepernick's protest of police brutality and racial inequality during the national anthem "dumb and disrespectful." It was kind of shocking to hear Gunsburg sound off so forcefully on this issue, even if she did hedge a bit, and correctly noted that there is nothing illegal about "being stupid or arrogant." Indeed, those traits might make you one of the two best options for President of the United States. Anyway! Colin Kaepernick has heard Justice Ginsburg's critiques and has responded:

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"It is disappointing to hear a Supreme Court justice call a protest against injustices and oppression 'stupid, dumb' in reference to players doing that."

It is sort of amazing that a professional quarterback and a U.S. Supreme Court justice can trade verbal barbs in the press, but welcome to life in the 21st century. Kaepernick not only expressed disappointment with her point of view, but also took a stab at what he felt was the underlying current to most, if not all of the criticism of, mostly, black protests by, mostly, white objectors:

"I was reading an article and it refers to white critique of black protests and how they try to de-legitimize it by calling it 'idiotic, dumb, stupid,' things of that nature, so they can sidestep the real issue. As I was reading that I saw more and more truth how this has been approached by people in power and white people in power in particular."

He also doubled down on his unwillingness to pay homage to what was "at the end of the day…is just a piece of cloth." He also said he was not going to value the flag more than a person's life. Which will surely endear him to the folks in Buffalo this weekend, where he will make his first start of the season.

[Mercury News]