Opinion
Kaepernick’s misguided Castro support could hurt the wider protest movement
By Paul Giuliano '19
December 1, 2016
Tags opinion
Before last week, I observed Colin Kaepernick’s media-frenzied protests as an expression of the first amendment. Whether I agreed with the way in which he selected to protest or the motivation behind such a protest was irrelevant. He has every right to protest however he would like for whatever injustices that are occurring in our nation. Given that fact that he was a backup quarterback who had failed to reach his potential, I was intrigued as to why he, out of all the star athletes in the league, would decide to take up such a monumental protest. I was particularly interested in his press conference after the media, and the world, discovered that he had elected to take a knee during our country’s national anthem. This press conference would surely solidify his protest, successfully build upon his actions and explain how they were going to improve the injustices that this nation faces.
However, my attention was immediately grabbed by Colin’s shirt. Emblazoned upon the quarterback’s t-shirt were photos of 1960s black power advocate Malcolm X and Cuban dictator Fidel Castro with the slogan, “Like Minds Think Alike.” Fidel Castro? You are going to advocate against the oppression of minorities and you elect to wear a shirt of an unapologetic communist dictator whose human rights record includes firing squad executions to enforce discipline, punishing those deemed disloyal and the intentional sinking of the 13 de Marzo tugboat that was loaded with women and children?
According to Human Rights Watch, “Cuban citizens have been systematically deprived of their fundamental rights to free expression, privacy, association, assembly, movement and due process of law. Tactics for enforcing political conformity have included police warnings, surveillance, short-term detentions, house arrests, travel restrictions, criminal prosecutions and politically motivated dismissals from employment.” For someone who is calling for the end of systematic oppression and freedom for all people, Castro seems like one of the last people Kaepernick should be flaunting on his attire.
This past week the San Francisco 49ers, Kaepernick’s team, play in Miami against the Dolphins. When questioned by a Miami reporter on Castro during a conference call leading up to the game, Kaepernick mentioned his support of Fidel Castro due to his investment in their education system rather than their prison system. Two points immediately rushed to my mind, not to mention the complete and utter ignorance of Kaepernick to entirely overlook the lack of free elections and justice in the country. First, Cuba likely doesn’t invest in their prison system because firing squads and uninhabitable, unmaintained prison cells are likely inexpensive to run. Second, if reporting literacy rates is anything like reporting Cuba’s election, the results of high literacy rates are just as believable as Castro’s unanimous election to the presidency.
Kaepernick was met with boos when he arrived on the field last Sunday versus the Dolphins. After the 31-24 loss to Miami, Kaepernick was questioned after the game if his views on the dictator had changed. Surprisingly, Kaepernick’s views on the Castro administration remained positive, citing the totalitarian’s investment in education and free healthcare as well as his role in helping to end apartheid. Clearly the now starting quarterback for the 49ers was unable to see how supporting a communist dictator with a colorful history of human rights violations would reflect upon him and his movement.
This is clearly a bad look for a protest leader such as Kaepernick. For someone so passionate about their belief in ending oppression and freedom for all, it is highly hypocritical to praise a communist dictator such as Fidel Castro, even if the policies explicitly mentioned did not violate human rights. Not only does this hurt Kaepernick’s image but it will also deter support for his amicable civil rights movement.