The SFPOA acknowledge that Mr. Colin Kaepernick has a right to express his point of view, however, we take exception to comments he made regarding law enforcement.
Mr. Kaepernick is misinformed about the law enforcement profession and his statements are ill-conceived. The POA has sent a letter to the NFL Commissioner and the President/CEO of the San Francisco 49ers requesting an apology.
Martin Halloran
SFPOA President
Here is a copy of the letter:
August 29, 2016
Mr. Jed York
President/CEO
San Francisco 49ers
4900 Marie P. DeBartolo Way
Santa Clara, CA 945054-1100
Mr. Roger Goodell
Commissioner
National Football League
345 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10017
Dear Mr. York and Mr. Goodell:
It is with great disappointment to us, the San Francisco Police Officers Association, that we are compelled to communicate with you regarding the recent ill-advised statements made by your employee, Collin Kaepernick.
We certainly acknowledged Mr. Kaepernick’s first amendment right to remain seated during the National Anthem, as inappropriate as that may be, we will not stand by while he attacks police officers in this country with statements such as, “People are on paid leave while people of color are killed.”
Not only does he show an incredible lack of knowledge regarding our profession and “officer involved” shootings, but also shows a naivety and total lack of sensitivity towards police officers. Ironically, it is those officers who on numerous occasions have protected Mr. Kaepernick and have ensured that the venues where the NFL holds its events are fully protected.
I only wish Mr. Kaepernick could see the emotional and psychological challenges that our officers face following a fatal encounter. Some are so affected they never return to the streets. In short, Mr. Kaepernick has embarrassed himself, the 49er organization, and the NFL based on a false narrative and misinformation that lacks any factual basis.
Perhaps Mr. Kaepernick could comment on the murder of 49 police officers in the United States the past few months, or the assaults perpetrated on over 100,000 law enforcement officers in the past year. Perhaps he could lend his commentary to the over 8,000 murders that African Americans inflicted on one another in 2015. The law enforcement community cannot be continuously blamed on all of society’s problems, including racial divide, in our country. It isn’t fair and it isn’t true.
While the SFPOA acknowledges Mr. Kaepernicks right to speak his point of and we stand by that right, we also recognize your organizations ability to denounce his foolish statements and separate yourself from his actions.
As a gesture to build communication and understanding about the law enforcement profession, the SFPOA extends and open invitation to Mr. Kaepernick and to any player or employee from the National Football League to visit the SFPD Academy and partake in any of the simulations the recruits participate in during their training. This will hopefully expose them to a very small fraction of what officers experience daily on the streets in our city.
Until then we hope your organization choose to do the right thing and at least apologize to the many police officers Mr. Kaepernick has disrespected for no apparent reason.
Martin Halloran
SFPOA President
cc. Colin Kaepernick
15 comments
Kaepernick is brainwashed by this false narrative established by the crooked media and left wing. It’s to create more division to control society. This is what the left wing media and government want. Instead of focusing his attention towards the fact that African Americans kill each other by alarming numbers. Or the fact the Democratic Party has been giving false promises to minorities for over 50 years and not to mention where the party of the KKK. He attacks our officers and our national anthem and uses a broad brush that all law enforcement targets black men and murders them. Kaepernick is clearly a tool used by the agenda pushers. Not to mention he has converted to Islam and his fiance is a huge Muslim BLM pusher. Thank you to all our police officers for putting your lives on the line everyday. Kaepernick makes millions in a country he claims that opresses blacks. He should be cut from the team for his terrible performance off and on the field.
I call BS. You’re spending too much time paying attention to the right-wing media.
http://www.snopes.com/colin-kaepernick-converts-to-islam/
That said, Colin is being an ass.
All this article you linked says is there is no proof he has converted. But that doesn’t mean he hasn’t. So I call BS on your BS
So, 49er Fan…Have you stopped beating your wife?
Hard to disprove, ain’t it?
You’re right, Kaepernick is clearly a tool
Now the 9ers have two reasons to dump Kaepernick. What an @sshole!
Not that I think all officers are bad people, but I think there has to be accountability when officers kill people that did not deserve to die; and perhaps a college degree requirement to attain that badge in the first place. I was on the BART train NYE 2009 leaving San Francisco from the Embarcadero station heading to San Leandro the night Oscar Grant was murdered (Johannes Mehserle shot Grant in the back while Grant was handcuffed face down on the BART platform) .. After doing research at Sonoma State University on law enforcement related deaths, it shocks me that because an NFL quarterback did not stand up during a preseason game national anthem, there is national outcry. What about the thousands of people killed by police that nobody feels comfortable discussing. Google Damon Lowry (I interviewed his father Ralph) … Google the 13 year old who was killed in Santa Rosa by an officer (recently promoted now making 6 figures+) within 13 seconds of the officer seeing the kid with an air gun… Was it necessary to kill the kid or should I apologize along with Kaepernick? I didn’t know it was un-American to utilize your 1st amendment rights which were put in place for this very reason – so individuals can express their views; without having to apologize. The 1st amendment precedes the 2nd, so maybe there is something more important about free speech than say bearing arms?
http://50.47.68.138/stories/04/2/22/18189526.cfm
https://thinkprogress.org/this-is-how-many-people-police-have-killed-so-far-in-2016-7f1aec6b7098#.uwff7zier
Mr Rutherford,
I think you’ll find that most officers are good people who seriously want to do a good job.
What I’d personally like to see is body-cams on all police officers. Cameras that are on all the time…maybe a shutter for those “personal moments”. If along with that came random monitoring of the cameras, preferably live, I think you could wind up with some serious intervention with officers who may not be reacting or even behaving well. Teachable moments would be far better than autopsies. Find and fix or get rid of the bad apples.
My 2 cents…YMMV
Some people hiding behind free speech need to read and UNDERSTAND the ammendment. It isn’t an open invitation to say whatever you want. It is there to protect ones rights when speaking against the government. What you choose to say is what pits you at risk.
That being said, Colin is a dummy and needs to be fired. Free speech doesn’t protect you when making stupid statements while in the work place and on the clock. Let’s hope his endorsers are listening. I know I as a consumer will boycott anything he endorses.
Our police are a domestic military trying to do an almost impossible job colin please clean your plex glass stomach so you can see properly. Gmcgoran
America has got to be the most sensitive group of mind-numbed sheep to have ever walked the planet. All this anger toward an athlete for simple opinions is simply a bad case of monkey-see-monkey-do via watching the news. This fake patriotism everyone wants to peddle around is so old, outdated, and outright boring as of 2016. If you want to be a true American, stop beating your chest to the tempo of the status quo and move away from this petty group-mind. Who cares if this dude’s opinions were wrong or hurtful towards you? You know this wouldn’t have made any impact on you unless the media outlets started bickering about it. Grow up, young patriot. This obsession with Kaepernick’s statements is simply another media-induced distraction. If Kaepernick’s statements bother you, you’re simply being the typical meat-puppet all these media megaphones desire you to be. Wake up and smell your programming.
Funny how so many athletes get charged for domestic abuse, drug possession, money laundering, sex trafficking, cheating, public brawling, DUI’s, and no one says a word…yet everyone is now getting all pissed together when an athlete states an unpopular opinion? The American public has surely got its head screwed on backwards…
Wait, what??? Kaepernick makes stupid statements and your comment is the American public has surely got its head screwed on backwards…
Someone has his head somewhere, surely it a not the American public. Perhaps you and Kaepernick need to pull your heads out.
This guy has NO RESPECT for his country… he can get the heck out. He is a TOOL!
If “people of color” would learn to COOPERATE with the police, and quit being so DISRESPECTFUL towards law enforcement, this wouldn’t be a problem. Certain cultures make law enforcements job MORE DIFFICULT, and the police will let you know. Do you blame them?
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