Youth Football Team Getting Death Threats Over National Anthem Protest
Colin Kaepernick's national anthem protest has taken an ugly twist.
A youth football team in Texas called the Beaumont Bulls has joined the 49ers quarterback's protest by also kneeling during "The Star-Spangled Banner" to show its disapproval over the way people of color are treated in the U.S.
One of the players, 11-year-old Jaelun Parkerson, said, "Even though we're kids, we can still get the information and know about the stuff that's going on."
The Bulls' decision has certainly been controversial. While many support the gesture, Jaelun's mother, April, says players have been the target of death threats, mostly on social media.
We have someone who commented, 'kill them all,' in response to someone who was showing support for our organization."
One person on Facebook even went so far as to write that the team's coach should be lynched.
April also says the Bulls are not immune to racism. "Our players have been called the n-word by opposing teams," she said. "I had to explain to my son what that meant when he was called that for the first time at, you know, nine years old."
Tre Martin, who used to coach the team, is vehemently against the team's stance. "I was just disgusted with the whole thing," he said. "The only reason those boys get to play football and we have a country like we do is because of our veterans and flag, and what it represents."
The Bulls plan to continue to protest and the team's executive board backs its decision.