title: OBAMA DEFENDS KAEPERNICK’S Decision to Disrespect American Flag: “He’s generated more interest in something that needs to be talked about”
text: When Obama had the opportunity to speak out against 49er s quarterback Colin Kaepernick s disrespect for our flag, he chose instead to defend his actions, explaining that it was okay for him to sit out the national anthem, as long as he was bringing attention to the cop-hating/killing, divisive Black Lives Matter terror group President Obama said San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick is  exercising his constitutional right  to sit out the national anthem, but the president acknowledged that the silent protest is a  tough thing  for military service members to accept.At a news conference in China on Monday, the president said he did not doubt Kaepernick s sincerity in his decision not to stand for the anthem ahead of games to protest the treatment of African Americans by law enforcement in U.S. cities. Obama noted a  long history  of sports figures protesting political or social issues. There are a lot of ways you can do it,  Obama said after the G-20 summit here.  As a general matter when it comes to the flag and the national anthem and the meaning that holds for our men and women in uniform and those who fought for us   that is a tough thing for them to get past to then hear what his deeper concerns are. But I don t doubt his sincerity. I think he cares about some real, legitimate issues that have to be talked about. If nothing else, he s generated more conversation about issues that have to be talked about. Obama said he has not closely followed the controversy surrounding Kaepernick s actions while he has been overseas, but he said he was aware of the public response, which has been sharply divided. The president has sought to balance his own response to the unrest and mistrust between African Americans and police officers over the past several years, including in Baton Rouge and Dallas this year. You ve heard me talk in the past about the need for us to have an active citizenry,  Obama said.  Sometimes that s messy and controversial and gets people angry and frustrated. But I d rather have young people that are engaged in the argument and trying to think through how they can be part of our democratic process than people just sitting on the sidelines not participating at all. My suspicion is that over time he s going to refine how he thinks about it. Maybe some of his critics will start seeing that he had a point about concerns about justice and equality. That s how we move forward.    Washington Post