I sit and watch the news in complete frustration daily. The newest hot topic is how Nike chose to have Colin Kaepernick as its spokesperson. In 2011 when Kaepernick was first drafted to the San Francisco 49ers I was so proud. You see, I was born and raised in Reno, Nevada. It was so amazing to have someone from our little local school on the national stage. Even if the 49ers were not the team of choice most locals would root for them simply because he had graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno.
A few years later when he decided to conduct a silent protest police brutality and social injustice, much of the nation saw it as disrespectful to the United States and the military. Now there has been massive debate over the appropriateness of this. If we look at the specifics of the Flag Code yes, all people are supposed to stand during the National Anthem, but if we choose to “violate” this it is okay because it is within our First Amendment rights to violate the flag code if it is a politically motivated reason.(Read the entire Flag Code here.)
I am a strong supporter of our military and am offended by Mr. Kaepernick’s choice for conducting his protest. This form of protest although it is breaking a law there is no way for repercussion. Really though, has Mr. Kaepernick kneeling really affected your life. Has Nike choosing to utilize him to try and make money on their 30th anniversary changed your buying options, maybe. Have either of these issues done anything to better your life?
Here is where I will ask you how is your health? Over the last 10, 20, 30 years what has your freedom of choice done to your health? What famous person has spoken out for you to receive access to better health options? Are you frustrated because affording organic produce is hard? Has a famous person or brand done anything to bring national awareness to our lack of affordable healthy food, or natural medicine. The answer to any of this is no. You will not see things like this on the national stage because big pharma has made these things a legal nightmare. No matter how much education I obtain the FDA doesn’t want me or anyone to tell you about the positive health benefits of herbal medicine.
We live in the land of the free, where there are laws dictating everything we can say and do. I could share the “medicinal” benefits of xyz herb and sell it to you, but then I would face jail time. Mr. Kaepernick can kneel for the national anthem breaking the law and face no legal repercussions because it would violate his first amendment right to free speech. Does fame help you have more freedoms? Society has a lot of things to deal with, access to a variety of ways to stay healthy should not be limited. Yet this is a silent thing that many don’t and won’t know about from the main stream media or medical society.
