Transcript of video with Army veteran Nate Boyer
https://youtu.be/I4nyaL8qmK0


Q: what was your initial response when you saw that Colin Kaepernick sat for the national anthem?

Nate Boyer: I'll be completely honest. My initial response was anger. You know. I was angry and disappointed because I grew up a niner's fan and I was pulling for this guy. And now, he just pissed on my flag. But then, I just stopped making all these judgments and tried to listen to what he's talking about.

Colin Kaepernick: Specifically, its police brutality.

Nate Boyer: And the more I thought about it, the more I was like I wanna try to understand at least somewhat, because I hadn't walked around in his shoes but he hasn't walked around in my boots. You know what I mean? So I just wrote a letter and he got a hold of it.

Q: He contacted you?

Nate Boyer: Yeah. He contacted me. He said he was inspired by it and he was wanting to sit down with me and just have a discussion. First thing he said when we met, it was "I just want you to know I appreciate your service more than anything." I expressed to him maybe there's a different way to demonstrate where you're showing more respect for those that lay down their lives for what that flag and anthem stand for. I suggested kneeling because people kneel to pray. We'll kneel in front of a fallen brothers grave .

you know, to show respect. And he said, "I think that will be really powerful."

Announcer: Colin Kaepernick choosing not to sit on the bench this time, but to take a knee.

Nate Boyer: The fact that he was willing to listen and go to a knee versus sitting, I thought was huge. That's an important step that he's taking I think that other people need to take a step too and maybe listen to him.

Colin Kaepernick: Cops are getting paid leave for killing people and not being held accountable. That's not right.

Nate Boyer: I respect those men and women in uniform, but the ones that aren't doing it the right way, we need to correct it, we need to fix it. He's right about that.

Colin Kaepernick: People of color have been targeted by police.

Nate Boyer: It is an issue and we've come a long way, but we still have a long way to go.

I think as a service member, its more upsetting for me to come back from fighting for my country overseas to see how divided we are and how angry we are at each other.

Donald Trump: Wouldn't you love to see one of these NFL owners say "Get that son of a ***** off the field"?

Nate Boyer: I'm more hurt by that than somebody sitting down during the anthem. At this point, I'm just like, Mr President, lets be presidential and reach across to people that you don't agree with and you think are wrong and just say, "You know what? Let me hear you out."

Colin Kaepernick: If we have these real conversations, that are uncomfortable for a lot of people, its something that can unify this country.

Nate Boyer: And maybe we can come to some kind of agreement, solution, and understand that we're really not that different. We probably want the same things at the end of the day.

Yet, Dear Leader feeds on the hate, PROMOTES hate, uses hate to fight his long-held grudges (Turning this against the NFL because he was denied a franchise ownership), whips his sycophant sheep "base" into a frenzy, and of course, encourages his base to shout down contrary opinion, rather than listening with an open mind.

as a veteran who has actually fought a war,and swore an oath to protect our constitution against ALL enemies,both foreign,and DOMESTIC,and ensure that ALL american citizens have the freedoms that it promises us,i think that it is pretty insulting to have a few insecure people who have their own ulterior motives are using hatred as a tool to try to deny other citizens the right to free speech,and freedom of expression,and masquerading their ignorant hatred as 'patriotism' to do it!

if some people want to kneel during the national anthem,i fully support their right to do so,and anybody that DOESNT support their right to freedom of expression,as guaranteed to us in the first amendment,i find it VERY anti-American,and HIGHLY hypocritical,considering that THEY are using THEIR right to free speech to try to deny OTHER people THEIR right to free speech!!

those people,such as Donald trump, who oppose kneeling during the anthem are ALSO free to have their own opinion on whether kneeling during the national anthem is right,or wrong,but they DO NOT have the right to tell other people that they CANT exercise their first amendment rights,and evidentally don't have the slightest idea of what being 'patriotic' is all about!

they are perfectly free to say 'you SHOULDNT kneel during the anthem',or that 'they find kneeling during the anthem offensive',but they CANT say that 'you CANT kneel during the anthem'!

and,anybody that DOES say that does NOT understand what the constitution/the bill of rights actually means,and needs to go back to grade school to get a refresher course in American government/social studies,so they can better understand the basics of the u.s. constitution!

Dave, thanks for your service!

Just going to leave this to think about.. I have no problem with those that try to make this world a better world .. I do have a problem when one does it and it is to promote more violence then to fix the problem..


"Colin Kaepernick donated $25,000 to group named after convicted cop killer and former Black Liberation Army member Assata Shakur who broke out of jail and fled to Cuba"

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4934664/Colin-Kaepernick-donated-25K-group-honoring-cop-killer.html

I would agree it is not good to promote Violence. Im not aware Colin has done so either, let alone done it 'more' than trying to fix a problem.

If that was the reference.

After Colin Kaepernick donated $25,000 this year to Assata’s Daughters, a Chicago-based organization, conservative news outlets across the country were quick to denounce the group that they said was named after a “cop killer.” Lost in that outcry was an examination of the two-year-old group’s actual activities: Kaepernick’s announcement stated that $2,500 would go toward the Cop Watch program, another $2,500 for a garden, $5,000 for a library and $15,000 for teen workshops.

http://chicagodefender.com/2017/12/14/who-are-assatas-daughters-a-qanda-with-founder-page-may/

even if the teen workshops were promoting use of violence, which I see no indication they are, it would be hard to say 15 grand is MORE than the remaining 1 million he has given to programs that educate and uplift.

You don't seem to get it..with the exception of his knee bend. He is silent. And Like most former atheletes once his money runs low. So will he . And disappear

Former MMA fighter, Iraq War veteran joins Nike boycott
https://youtu.be/11FgOQ5G8tE

I get it. In ADDITION to his knee bend, he CONTINUES to put his money and time where his mouth is by investing in and helping maintain and start programs to uplift and educate others. Being absent from the press and being 'silent' are different things.

there are many veterans in support of Colin and in support of boycotting, because all vets are not the same (just like any other demographic of people)

Interesting.