Hello Americans, I’m Todd Starnes. Stand by for news and commentary next.
Major League Baseball is dealing with its own Colin Kaepernick situation.
Gabe Kapler, the manager of the San Francisco Giants, says he will no longer come out for the national anthem. Says he doesn’t feel comfortable about the direction of the country.
Kapler’s decision comes just days after a Texas gunman slaughtered 19 children and two adults while police stood down for nearly an hour.
Kapler unleashed on a blog post – wondering whether the United States is the land of the free and the home of the brave.
“When I was the same age as the children in Uvalde, my father taught me to stand for the pledge of allegiance when I believed my country was representing its people well or to protest and stay seated when it wasn’t. I don’t believe it is representing us well right now,” he wrote.
He continued:
“Every time I place my hand over my heart and remove my hat, I’m participating in a self congratulatory glorification of the ONLY country where these mass shootings take place. On Wednesday, I walked out onto the field, I listened to the announcement as we honored the victims in Uvalde. I bowed my head. I stood for the national anthem. Metallica riffed on City Connect guitars.
“My brain said drop to a knee; my body didn’t listen. I wanted to walk back inside; instead I froze. I felt like a coward. I didn’t want to call attention to myself. I didn’t want to take away from the victims or their families. There was a baseball game, a rock band, the lights, the pageantry. I knew that thousands of people were using this game to escape the horrors of the world for just a little bit. I knew that thousands more wouldn’t understand the gesture and would take it as an offense to the military, to veterans, to themselves.”
“I am not okay with the state of this country. I wish I hadn’t let my discomfort compromise my integrity. I wish that I could have demonstrated what I learned from my dad, that when you’re dissatisfied with your country, you let it be known through protest. The home of the brave should encourage this,” Kapler said.
The truth is we are the land of the free – and Mr. Kapler is free to be thoroughly misinformed.
The problem in our nation is not the guns. There are plenty of laws on the books. The problem is that the laws are not enforced.
It’s okay to have a dissenting opinion, but at least take the time to make sure it’s an informed opinion.
Otherwise, you’re just popping off like a foul ball.