Eternal victim and former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick is at it again, and confirms not only a recent observation of historical eras, but also an analysis made by a collegiate Hall of Fame football coach.
Netflix released a biographical documentary series Friday called "Colin in Black & White," in which Kaepernick described his "years navigating race, class and culture while aspiring for greatness."
Kaepernick, you may recall, is the person who began the practice of first sitting, then kneeling, during pre-game performances of the national anthem.
The first installment of the series is more of the same grievance-sharing — in this case by comparing the NFL draft process to a slave auction.
"What they don't want you to understand is what's being established is a power dynamic," says Kaepernick, a former San Francisco 49er.
"Before they put you on the field, teams poke, prod and examine you searching for any defect that might affect your performance. No boundary respect. No dignity left intact."
The scene then cuts to a line of Black NFL hopefuls who transform into shackled slaves at auction, white slave owners bid on them.
"Look at this here!" the auctioneer shouts. "Come on! Who wants this?"
Apart from the fact that all job interviewers strive to select "the best and the brightest" for the position being filled, Kaepernick doesn't mention that white athletes aspiring to play for the NFL go through the same recruiting process.
Yet he wants to turn it into a racial issue.
In 2014 Kaepernick signed a six-year extension to his contract with the 49ers — worth a then-record $61 million — a fact not lost on others.
"How dare @Kaepernick7 compare the evil endured by so many of our ancestors to a bunch of millionaires who CHOSE to play game," Utah Republican Rep. Burgess Owens wrote, himself a former NFL player.
Likewise, radio host Clay Travis observed that unlike slavery, playing professional football is wholly voluntary, and the participants reap huge rewards.
"Colin Kaepernick compares the NFL combine, which allows all players of all races a voluntary chance to become multi-millionaires, to slavery," he wrote. "Anyone still defending this imbecile lacks a functional brain."
Kaepernick was a rising star with the 49ers when he signed his contract extension, but within a year his performance began to falter, and in 2015 he was benched.
Early the next year he reportedly asked to be traded, and in August 2016 he began sitting out the national anthem, begging the question: Did he do it out of a sense of social justice or to regain the attention he lost when he became a benchwarmer?
Both Kaepernick and Netflix should be embarrassed by this display. In truth, the former 49er isn't a victim of his race; rather the era in which he's living allows him to believe he's a victim.
That was explained by author G. Michael Hopf in his 2016 novel, "Those Who Remain."
He described a circle of historical eras this way: "Hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, and weak men create hard times."
If Kaepernick is an example of "good times creating weak men," Notre Dame football coaching legend Lou Holtz exhibits the polar opposite — "hard times create strong men."
He was born in West Virginia during the Great Depression, and shared a single bedroom with his sister and parents in a small home having a bathroom with no sink, tub or shower. Despite hardships and no government assistance, Holtz said he enjoyed a privileged upbringing.
"I say I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth, not because of what we had," he explained during an appearance at Liberty University last year, "but because I was born in this country and I was told, if I was willing to work hard and have a strong faith in God, I could have a successful life."
He also compared today's athletes to those of an earlier era.
"People ask me what the difference is between athletes today and 40 years ago. Today everybody wants to talk about their rights and privileges, and 40 years ago we talked about our obligations and responsibilities."
Holtz also said that every team member has an obligation to perform to the best of his ability — not just for himself, but for his teammates' success.
"If you want to fail, you have the right to fail, but you do not have the right to cause others to fail because we don't do everything to the best of our ability.
With "Colin in Black & White," Netflix has become an enabler for Kaepernick's addiction to victimhood, which he's now turned it into a paying profession.
All things considered, he could use a little more Lou Holtz wisdom and a little less BLM martyrdom.
Michael Dorstewitz is a retired lawyer and has been a frequent contributor to BizPac Review and Liberty Unyielding. He is also a former U.S. Merchant Marine officer and an enthusiastic Second Amendment supporter, who can often be found honing his skills at the range. Read Dorstewitz's Reports — More Here.