This politician is pledging her allegiance to Colin Kaepernick.
Missouri state senator Jamilah Nasheed on Wednesday became the latest politician to decline to stand during the Pledge of Allegiance. The St. Louis Democrat said she took the action in the state capitol on Wednesday in a show of solidarity with the 49ers quarterback, The Associated Press reported.
Kaepernick has refused to stand during the national anthem to protest racial opression, touching off a national debate and inspiring fellow athletes to join him.
“I love America, but I want to support a brother who is shining a light on injustice,” Nasheed told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch before her protest.
Nasheed reiterated her thoughts on Twitter:
Republican Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder, who presided over the Senate Wednesday, issued a statement criticizing Nasheed’s action. “My reaction to Sen. Nasheed’s demonstration is not one of indignation or anger,” he said. “Instead, it’s an occasion for great sorrow. The Pledge of Allegiance, like the National Anthem, is an occasion for all Americans to stand together in national unity. There is no question of the senator’s right to remain seated during the Pledge, but it’s a question of the propriety of her action. I worry about the example she is setting, particularly for our young people.”
On Wednesday, New York City councilman Jumaane Williams (D-Brooklyn) refused to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance during a meeting in solidarity with Kaepernick.
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