Why is Giants manager Gabe Kapler refusing to stand for the national anthem?
Gabe Kapler, who was named MLB Manager of the Year in 2021, will not stand for the national anthem before games in the aftermath of Texas shooting.
San Francisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler has explained that he will not stand for the United States national anthem due to concerns over the “direction of our country”.
On Tuesday, 19 children and two teachers were killed in a shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.
The MLB paid tribute by holding a moment of silence before games, prior to playing the national anthem.
Kapler on Friday published an essay on his website detailing how on “the day 19 children and two teachers were murdered, we held a moment of silence at sporting events around the country, then we played the national anthem, and we went on with our lives.”
He then explained that he will not be coming out to stand for the anthem, and that he wanted to take a knee during the playing of the Star-Spangled Banner on Wednesday.
Kapler: “I am not okay with the state of this country”
“Every time I place my hand over my heart and remove my hat, I’m participating in a self-congratulatory glorification of the ONLY country where these mass shootings take place,” he wrote.
“On Wednesday, I walked out onto the field, I listened to the announcement as we honoured the victims in Uvalde. I bowed my head. I stood for the national anthem. Metallica riffed on guitars.
“My brain said drop to a knee; my body didn’t listen. I wanted to walk back inside; instead I froze. I felt like a coward. I didn’t want to call attention to myself. I didn’t want to take away from the victims or their families.
“There was a baseball game, a rock band, the lights, the pageantry. I knew that thousands of people were using this game to escape the horrors of the world for just a little bit. I knew that thousands more wouldn’t understand the gesture and would take it as an offense to the military, to veterans, to themselves.
“But I am not okay with the state of this country. I wish I hadn’t let my discomfort compromise my integrity. I wish that I could have demonstrated what I learned from my dad, that when you’re dissatisfied with your country, you let it be known through protest. The home of the brave should encourage this.”
Kapler told reporters on Friday: “I don’t expect it to move the needle necessarily, but it’s something I feel strongly enough about to take that step.”
His decision follows on from an impassioned plea from Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, who used a pre-game news conference earlier this week to express his dismay over another school shooting and demand changes to gun laws.