Colin Kaepernick’s birth mother says NFL star has brought shame to America and his family

COLIN Kaepernick has divided opinion in the US, and now his own mother has lashed him for bringing shame to his country and his family.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick has declared he will “continue to sit” during the US national anthem.

NFL star Colin Kaepernick’s birth mother has weighed in on his controversial refusal to stand during the American national anthem.

The San Francisco 49ers quarterback copped widespread criticism from players and fans, but also support from others, when he refused to stand during the ‘Star-Spangled Banner’ during Friday night’s preseason game against the Green Bay Packers.

His mother Heidi Russo — who put Kaepernick up for adoption when she was 19 — took to Twitter to criticise him for bringing shame to America and to his family.

@Kaepernick7 There's ways to make change w/o disrespecting & bringing shame to the very country & family who afforded you so many blessings.

— Heidi Russo (@Heidirn1) August 27, 2016

@Kaepernick7 The path less traveled doesn't need to be one of destruction. #beenthere #besmarter #berespectful

— Heidi Russo (@Heidirn1) August 27, 2016

She also tweeted a link to an article making the point Kaepernick had no experience dealing with the type of oppression faced by black athletes before him like Jesse Owens and Bernard King.

Message from a non-oppressed black man to Colin Kaepernick… https://t.co/yCk3ajNZFH via @AllenWest

— Heidi Russo (@Heidirn1) August 30, 2016

Meanwhile, Donald Trump chimed in on the matter, calling Kaepernick’s stand “a terrible thing”.

The Republican presidential candidate suggested Kaepernick should “find a country that works better for him” when asked about the furore that followed.

“I have followed it and I think it’s personally not a good thing,” Trump told the Dori Monson Show, a conservative afternoon radio talk show in the Seattle area. “I think it’s a terrible thing, and you know, maybe he should find a country that works better for him. Let him try — it won’t happen.”

Kaepernick’s political protest ignited debate across the sport, and beyond. Some 49ers fans began posting videos of themselves burning their Kaepernick jerseys on social media, while others ridiculed the sportsman for criticising a country that has allowed him to earn millions.

Kaepernick's $114 million contract is really keeping him down... pic.twitter.com/zJNQq85XXA

— We Need Trump (@WeNeedTrump) August 29, 2016

“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of colour,” Kaepernick said in post-game interview with NFL Media. “To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump had some strong words for Colin Kaepernick.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick is standing by his protest.

Kaepernick has since gone on to say that he will “continue to sit” during the anthem until he sees improvements in US race relations. The NFL said he would be permitted to do so.

The 28-year-old athlete declared he would stand when he feels “like that flag represents what it’s supposed to represent, and this country is representing people the way it’s supposed to — I’ll stand”.

He also announced that he wouldn’t be voting for Trump or Clinton in the upcoming November election. In a scathing 18-minute interview on Sunday, Kaepernick blasted both presidential candidates for playing a part in the problems he argues America is currently facing.

“You have Hillary who has called black teens or black kids super predators, you have Donald Trump who’s openly racist,” Kaepernick said, according to CBS Sports.

On Monday, the White House also weighed in on the situation, saying that it disagrees with Kaepernick’s “objectionable” decision not to stand with his teammates but defended his right to freedom of speech.

During a regular media briefing, press secretary Josh Earnest said President Obama, a devoted sports fan, was “aware of the issue”, adding “we surely all acknowledge and even defend his right to express those views in the settings that he chooses. Even as objectionable as we find his perspective, he certainly is entitled to express them.”

Kaepernick can be seen here, seated between the orange water dispensers while the US national anthem plays. Picture: Twitter / @jenniferleechan

Originally published as Colin Kaepernick’s birth mother says NFL star has brought shame to America and his family