*As the controversy over San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick continues to mount over his decision to sit during the national anthem until America addresses racial inequality, the media only today noticed the player’s long-standing personal protest against the police shootings of unarmed African Americans — depicted in his choice of socks.
Earlier today, Philip Lewis of Mic tweeted Kaepernick’s socks that depict officers as pigs, the derogatory term for police officers.
Colin Kaepernick is now wearing socks depicting the police as pigs. pic.twitter.com/C1D809YSR2
— Philip Lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) September 1, 2016
But Kaep has been wearing these socks since at least early August. San Jose Mercury News reporter Courtney Cronin tweeted a pic of the socks on Aug. 12, and mistook the pig depiction as “a police bulldog.”
Colin Kaepernick’s socks from practice today. That’s a police bulldog. pic.twitter.com/AN92dY1hhW
— Courtney Cronin (@CourtneyRCronin) August 12, 2016
The media took today’s sock tweet and ran with it, with conservative sites in particular foaming at the mouth over his sock game.
Today, Kaepernick took to social media to set the record straight, saying his socks worn “in the past” were meant to represent the “rogue cops that are allowed to hold positions in police departments.” The QB said he wanted to address sockgate “immediately” before it was used to “distract from the real issues.”
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