‘We minorities live in a much different country than white, straight, Christian Americans.’

Put yourself in Kaepernick’s shoes

To those angered by Colin Kaepernick’s refusal to stand for the national anthem, I would ask them to remember he is a person of color living in a country that has an abysmal record on the treatment of people of color, continuing today with police shootings of unarmed black men and assaults on voting rights.

I am not a person of color, but I am gay. I don’t know how he feels, but I know how I feel living in a state that voted for Amendment One and passed HB2.

We minorities live in a much different country than white, straight, Christian Americans.

Try to remember that, especially when not everyone reacts the way you do to the symbols of that country.

Kaepernick sees failure; I see progress

I disagree with Colin Kaepernick and your editorial completely.

Mr. Kaepernick’s general statement that our government is oppressing blacks and people of color is not factual.

We have made tremendous progress in race relations since the days of Jackie Robinson.

There are many minorities in positions of authority in the government. Last time I looked, we had an African-American president twice elected by the American people.

QB’s refusal to stand dishonors vets

Colin Kaepernick, isn’t it great that you live in a country where you are free to sit to express your feelings?

However in this veteran’s eyes you are dishonoring your teammates, your team, your fans, all veterans alive and deceased, and all the children who idolize you.

Put townhouses on Sedgefield land

This whole petition about the 3.7 acres on the outskirts of Sedgefield Park is silly.

No one is ever on that land. I live a few blocks away and ride by it twice a day on a school bus. Not once have I seen a soul.

It would change nothing to put townhouses there.

CMS needs money and Charlotte needs more housing closer to uptown.

At this rate we’ll end up like Atlanta, and does anyone really want Charlotte to become Atlanta?

To fix schools move teachers, not kids

If high poverty schools are not performing, hire better teachers.

Move the teachers from low performing schools, not the kids.

Not to mention, having neighborhood schools would eliminate arriving home hours after the school bell.

Commutations by Obama fall short

While I like his sentiment, President Obama’s recent commutations should not be taken as harbingers of future efforts to combat unjust incarceration systems in America.

Regardless of circumstance, possession of drugs will garner ridiculous sentences due to mandatory minimums.

Regardless of circumstance, ex-prisoners will struggle to find work.

By providing these commutations, the president only perpetuates the idea that drug dealing and trafficking happens on an individual, and not systemic, basis.

In the grand scheme of things this accomplishes little and only helps a lucky few.

Clinton, Trump too old to be president

When Dwight Eisenhower ran for the presidency in 1952, many thought he was too old to be seeking the office.

Yet, at JFK’s inauguration in 1961 Eisenhower was about the same age as Donald Trump is today. Hillary Clinton is only about a year younger.

Unlike today’s candidates, Eisenhower never felt the need to have his hair teased or colored.

Gary Johnson?

This story was originally published August 31, 2016 at 4:11 PM with the headline "‘We minorities live in a much different country than white, straight, Christian Americans.’."