“Don’t expect it to move needle” – Giants manager Gabe Kapler not to attend national anthem as protest in wake of Uvalde shooting

“Don’t expect it to move needle” – Giants manager Gabe Kapler not to attend national anthem as protest in wake of Uvalde shooting

Gabe Kapler

San Francisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler on Friday decided not to take the field for the national anthem before the series opener against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. This took place after he wrote that he is “not okay with the state of this country” and that he “felt like a coward” for not protesting “the lack of delivery on the promise of what our national anthem represents.”

During a media interaction ahead of the clash, Kapler told reporters that he needs more time to consider specific actions he might suggest being taken to prevent more tragedies of this type, such as stronger gun control laws. Notably, he was referring to the unfortunate mass school shooting incident that took place on Tuesday in Uvalde, Texas. 

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“I don’t expect it to move the needle necessarily,” Kapler said of his decision to not take the field for the anthem, as quoted by ESPN.com. “It’s just something that I feel strongly enough about to take that step.”

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“Don’t believe it is representing us well right now”

Gabe Kapler
Gabe Kapler

The 46-year-old Kapler, in a blog post published earlier on his lifestyle brand website, said he felt disappointed for not making some sort of protest during the playing of the national anthem on Wednesday.

Also Read | “Can imagine what they experience” – Rays pitcher Brooks Raley’s thoughts with hometown Uvalde after Texas school shooting

“When I was the same age as the children in Uvalde, my father taught me to stand for the pledge of allegiance when I believed my country was representing its people well or to protest and stay seated when it wasn’t. I don’t believe it is representing us well right now,” Kapler wrote.

“… 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. 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 City Connect guitars.”

Also Read | “We all deserve to be safe” – Yankees, Rays collaborate on social media to spread awareness about gun violence