Colin Kaepernick has received a lot of flack in the past few days for his anti-American/police remarks and actions. Mr. Kaepernick refuses to stand during the national anthem in pre-season NFL games. He says he is doing so to “stand with the people who are being oppressed.” I could go on about what a hypocrite he is for disrespecting the flag, our servicemen, and the nation that affords him freedom of speech. However, I will take the less popular route and explain how stupid his criticism of the police is.
To begin with, Mr. Kaepernick seems to believe he is knowledgeable in the subject of police training. This knowledge extends to the fact he knows police academy graduates receive a gun after approximately six months of training. That’s about it. His comparison of police training to the education of a cosmetologist bespeaks his ignorance on the whole topic. Below are some important things for you to consider Mr. Kaepernick. In fact, if you have heard Colin Kaepernick and support the drivel coming from his entitled, ungrateful, and ignorant mouth, consider the following information:
- Police applicants undergo extensive background checks. This process often takes months. The applicant is subjected to multiple tests in addition to evaluating any criminal background. These tests range from evaluating written, oral, and comprehensive skills to medical and psychological examinations. During this background, some departments even require participation in physical training activities on the applicants’ own time and money. The competition is often high and after several months of background and testing, a small percentage will be admitted into the police academy. So as difficult as I’m sure it is to get into cosmetology school, let us just say the criteria for entrance is far less exclusive Mr. Kaepernick.
- Consider how much it costs to train police academy recruits. Even for smaller departments, the cost to the trainee is often anywhere from a few hundred dollars, to months of salary if the trainees are unpaid. For the training agency, the cost can easily go into six figures. This cost starts with the background expenses, including paying for all the applicants who do not end up qualifying. So Mr. Kaepernick, if you think police need more training, write your local congressman (or woman); offer to donate some of the millions of dollars you get for being a terrible quarterback and put it toward extra police training. Most police welcome extra training.
- Training does not end when a peace officer receives his/her duty weapon. Most officers then undergo their custody and/or patrol training. This is extensive and stressful on-the-job training which also takes months. At some point, the decision is made by the trainer(s) whether their trainee is ready and able to carry the duties of a peace officer without being a risk to the public, his/her partners, or him/herself. Trainees, having come so far at this point, do not always pass.
- Even after a peace officer has passed field training, the county and state often require further training. This could be training in updates or new laws, policies, weapons, etc. By the end of a peace officer’s career, it can add up to several hundred more hours of training. By the way Mr. Kaepernick, peace officers are often required to qualify with their duty weapon multiple times a year. Furthermore, peace officers frequently seek additional training, depending on the areas of the field they are interested in (gangs, narcotics, detectives). This training adds up to a lot of time, and often is paid for by the peace officer out of his/her own pocket.
Mr. Kaepernick, do you realize basic training in the United States Army lasts only 10 weeks? Yes, this includes assault weapons training. Do you know why Army recruits receive far less training, even though they too carry lethal weapons? Because they are not implicitly expected to get between you and somebody who wants to victimize you! They are not trained to determine whether that somebody has broken any laws! And a lot more focus is put on peace officer training to help humans make a split-second decision that could result in loss of life to criminals and innocents alike.
So what is your point Mr. Kaepernick? How much training would you require of peace officer trainees? For that matter, you seem to be an expert on cosmetology training as well; do they receive adequate, too much or not enough training according to you? Trust me, a lot of people far more intelligent than you have designed various types of job training requirements to match their respective profession. You are the last person on earth who should be consulted about police training.
Mr. Kaepernick also said “I can’t look in the mirror, and see other people dying on the street that should have the same opportunities I had.” Where is he going with this? Is the implication that police are taking opportunity away from people? There is no evidence of extrajudicial police shootings being a major problem in our nation, if that is the insinuation. Is he referring to homeless dying on the street? There are countless programs in the United States that provide opportunities for homeless on the streets to improve their living situation; certainly more so than many other nations. Could he be referring to the thousands of gang related homicides on the streets of Chicago? If so, Mr. Kaepernick could make a world of difference to many suffering families there. He has millions of dollars he could throw at trying to solve the gang violence in Chicago. Put your money where your loud mouth is Mr. Kaepernick.
Mr. Kaepernick expanded his anti-police rhetoric by describing a situation he encountered in college: “We were the only Black people in that neighborhood, the cops got called and all of us had guns drawn on us.” He implied this was racial profiling by police, and CBS reported it exactly as such. However, he said the police “got called.” Unless the person who called was a peace officer, it is not racial profiling. This is a prime example of how people do not understand that police are required to respond to calls, regardless of the race of either the caller or the subject. Mr. Kaepernick also suggested the police arrived with weapons drawn purely because he and his friends were Black. His lack of credibility and obvious bias makes one question how factual this is.
By the way, with regard to race and training: many states require more hours of training in “cultural diversity” than they do emergency vehicle operations. This is significant considering how much of an officer’s time is spent behind the wheel. It is an indication of how serious states and their respective police departments are about forming good relations with an increasingly diverse community.
Mr. Kaepernick also stated, “cops are getting paid leave for killing people.” There is far too much stupidity in this statement to address in this post. I will address this matter in particular later, in my posting on Black Lives Matter. What it all comes down to is ignorance on Mr. Kaepernick’s part. Unfortunately, Mr. Kaepernick represents a larger portion of the population embracing anti-American/police sentiment and this needs to be addressed.
Ignorant anti-police comments are becoming all too common, particularly among celebrities. These celebrities are too selfish to realize their ignorant rhetoric has real effect on the relationship police have with their communities; a relationship many officers strive daily to improve. One could hope they would educate themselves before making these type of comments, but that’s probably asking too much of these vapid millionaires. Next time you sit down Mr. Kaepernick, think about the thousands of servicemen (military and law enforcement) who died protecting the lives of unappreciative brats like yourself. You are fortunate to live in a country where they do that for you even if you are sitting on your rear, spitting on a nation that has done so well by you.
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