Kaepernick’s symbolism misses the point

“I think it’s a misunderstanding.”

So answered San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick when asked what he thought about being booed for refusing to stand during the national anthem at last week’s preseason game against the San Diego Chargers.

He was right. It was a misunderstanding. And that’s precisely the problem with symbols and symbolic gestures in the realm of political debate — they’re understood by different people in different ways, and not always in ways consistent with original intent. By choosing not to stand (he sat on the bench during the anthem for the Aug. 26 game against Green Bay and knelt during the anthem for the Sept. 1 game in San Diego), Kaepernick wants to say something about racial injustice. “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” Kaepernick told the NFL Network after the Packers game. “To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way.”