In 2018, Nike had an ad featuring former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick that included the slogan, “Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything.”
In 2021, former NFL wide receiver Dez Bryant feels Kaepernick hasn’t believed enough — he was all hat and no cattle. In turn, Bryant realized the importance of capitalism over big government intervention and overreach.
“I respect Colin Kaepernick, but there’s one thing that I don’t respect,” Bryant said on the I Am Athlete podcast Monday. “And I said it when I get the opportunity, and to get on the stage to say it, I would say it, and I love him to death. So, it ain’t no hate or nothing like that. But, brother, you had the biggest opportunity in the world to create jobs, build jobs, give jobs to people.”
As Bryant is finding out, this is often the pattern with people in the social justice warrior realm. It is also often the pattern of left-wing activists: declare outrage at an alleged injustice, gain popularity, cash in on that popularity, then actually do little to help the people you claim to be defending. George Orwell highlighted this model in his epic novel, Animal Farm, when the revolutionary pigs became the very thing they claimed to be fighting against. Bryant pointed this out when listing his grievances against Kaepernick.
“The people that you was talking about, the people that you [are] so-called ‘standing up for,’ those people who stood beside you, the people who lost their jobs because of you — where you at?” Bryant asked. “I ain’t heard from you.”
Bryan, a former top wide receiver in the league for the Dallas Cowboys in his heyday, offered praise to Kaepernick for “raising awareness” — but felt Kaepernick did nothing after that and wasted a valuable opportunity to lead and create real, effective change.
“There was no call to action,” Bryant said.
Granted, the “raising awareness” that Bryant mentioned is nothing but left-wing propaganda, as it focuses on cherry-picked cases of police killings in which only black people were victims, even though nearly twice as many white people are killed each year without the same magnitude of media scrutiny.
However, the important factor here is Bryant’s statement in favor of economic freedom. He said Kaepernick could have helped bring jobs to the black community. Bryant did not call for Kaepernick to bring bigger government. Jobs lift people out of poverty, which in turn facilitates economic prosperity. The gainfully employed are far less likely to have any interaction with the police.
Even though Kaepernick did not play again in the NFL, he was handsomely rewarded for his so-called “sacrifice.” Bryant should be applauded for pointing out that, ultimately, Kaepernick did nothing serious to help the people he claimed needed it.
