Giants manager Gabe Kapler to skip playings of national anthem after Texas shooting
Earlier on Friday, San Francisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler shared a piece on his website entitled "Home of the Brave?" in which he strongly criticized American politicians and "the state of this country," in general, following the shooting in Uvalde, Texas, that resulted in the deaths of 19 young children and two teachers.
In the post, Kapler admitted he wanted to "drop to a knee" or "walk back inside" during the playing of the national anthem ahead of Wednesday's home game versus the New York Mets at Oracle Park. Kapler addressed media members before Friday's matchup at the Cincinnati Reds and announced he'll be staying inside for renditions of the anthem for the foreseeable future.
"I don’t plan on coming out for the anthem going forward until I feel better about the direction of our country," Kapler explained, as noted by NBC Sports Bay Area. "That’ll be the step. I don’t expect it to move the needle necessarily, but it’s just something I feel strongly enough about to take that step."
It was back during the 2016 NFL season when former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick kneeled during the anthem ahead of games to peacefully protest racial inequality and acts of police violence. Figures from around the sports world, including European footballers, have since adopted the gesture.
"I didn’t want to take away from the victims or their families," Kapler wrote about his actions on Wednesday. "There was a baseball game, a rock band, the lights, the pageantry. I knew that thousands of people were using this game to escape the horrors of the world for just a little bit. I knew that thousands more wouldn’t understand the gesture and would take it as an offense to the military, to veterans, to themselves.
"But I am not OK with the state of this country. I wish I hadn’t let my discomfort compromise my integrity. I wish that I could have demonstrated what I learned from my dad, that when you’re dissatisfied with your country, you let it be known through protest. The home of the brave should encourage this."
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