Rush Limbaugh: Kaepernick Lauded, Cowboys Can't Honor Slain Cops

Conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh on Monday blasted what he sees as a double standard in the National Football League as 49ers backup quarterback Colin Kaepernick has been in the spotlight for refusing to stand during the national anthem before a game.

"It's a shame, and I've warned of this coming," Limbaugh told his radio audience. "I've warned of the politicization of everything. There now doesn't seem to be a single aspect of life in the United States that is not touched, that does not become controversial, because of race. Thank you, President Obama. Even the national anthem has now become a matter of race."

Kaepernick has been both criticized and applauded for his action, which he said he was taking to protest the treatment of black people in America.
 
Though Limbaugh said he supported Kaepernick's right to share his opinion, he added, "It's ironic that we have now a quarterback who was adopted and raised by a white family, who was scouted and signed by white scouts, was employed by white owners, the National Football League, decides now to steal the stage of the National Football League to make personal statements" just as his team is considering cutting him over his playing ability.

Limbaugh noted that members of the St. Louis Rams were allowed to run onto the field making the "hands up, don't shoot" sign — which he noted proved to be untrue in the Ferguson, Mo., shooting death of Michael Brown — and that NFL and NBA players have been allowed to wear "I Can't Breathe" T-shirts to protest the death of Eric Garner in New York City.

But the Dallas Cowboys were not allowed by the NFL to put stickers on their helmets to honor the five police officers killed during a protest of police shootings.

"It's too provocative; no freedom of speech there," Limbaugh said. "The Cowboys won't be honoring the cops there and elsewhere, but Kaepernick can do whatever he's doing to plaudits, to acclaim, to cheers and all these other expressions against America, tolerated, applauded, accepted."

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