Well, this is awkward: Colin Kaepernick's protest of the national anthem at a preseason game sparked a flurry of outrage and disagreement over its merits. Now a 49ers fan has hit back with a protest of that protest, set once again to the national anthem.
Kaepernick said that he sat during the anthem as a protest of the police violence that has raised tensions in communities across the country. The San Francisco quarterback said he plans to continue sitting for the national until conditions in America improve.
But this exercise of his First Amendment rights is not sitting well with many self-described patriots, who see Kaepernick's gesture as offensive and anti-American. One 49ers fan felt compelled to exercise his own First Amendment rights, setting fire to the quarterback's jersey while "The Star Spangled Banner" played.
Salty 49ers fan burns #Kaepernick's jersey. Oh brother... pic.twitter.com/zp9aLasYAW
— Erick Fernandez (@ErickFernandez) August 28, 2016
The sincerity of the 49ers fan is something to behold -- watch how he holds his hand over his heart for the duration of the song, as that Kaepernick jersey is devoured by the flames.
Then again, maybe he was just looking for an excuse to burn the Kaepernick jersey. You'd hate to be one of those people to have bought in way too early on the quarterback's potential.
As for Kaepernick, he's free to protest as long as he likes. He just better hope he makes San Francisco's regular-season roster -- otherwise he might not have a pre-game anthem to protest.
