Colin Kaepernick refusing to stand for the national anthem

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) _ San Francisco backup quarterback Colin Kaepernick says he is refusing to stand for the national anthem before games because he believes the United States oppresses African Americans and other minorities. Kaepernick, who is biracial and was adopted and raised by white parents, says he is “not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color.''
NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy says that “players are encouraged but not required to stand during the playing of the national anthem.''
Kaepernick is in competition to win back the starting quarterback job in San Francisco that he lost to Blaine Gabbert last season.