Maxwell means no disrespect: I'm kneeling for those who 'don't have a voice'
Oakland Athletics rookie catcher Bruce Maxwell explained the motivation behind his decision to take a knee during Saturday's national anthem, saying his actions were not directed toward his homeland, or those who fight for it.
"The point of my kneeling is not to disrespect our military. It's not to disrespect our Constitution. It's not to disrespect our country. My hand was over my heart because I love this country," Maxwell said, according to Jane Lee of MLB.com.
"I've had plenty of family members, including my father, that have bled for this country, that continue to serve for this country. At the end of the day, this is the best country on the planet.
"... My hand over my heart symbolized the fact that I am, and will forever be, an American citizen, and I'm more than forever grateful for being here. But my kneeling is what is getting the attention, because I'm kneeling for the people that don't have a voice."
The 26-year-old was born on a military base in Germany where his father was stationed as a member of the United States Army. Maxwell said he intends to keep kneeling during national anthems despite backlash and "nasty" messages.
"My decision has been coming for a long time," Maxwell said. "I was on the fence about it because nobody in baseball has ever done it. To only single out NFL players for doing this isn't something we should be doing, because athletes, outside of the president, pretty much have the highest platform there is in this country. Everybody watches sports, everybody loves sports, so I felt like this was the right thing for me to do personally."
"... I know negativity is coming my way. I checked my phone a few minutes ago (Saturday). I get nasty DMs and everything, but that also shows what's wrong with this country" he added, per Lee.
"People think athletes should shut up and get their money and play their sport, but no matter how much money we make, no matter how many touchdowns we score, no matter how many home runs we hit, it doesn't mean we aren't people. Our paychecks don't silence us."
During the game, the A's released a statement backing Maxwell, saying they support his rights and freedom of speech.
Former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick was the first professional athlete to kneel during the anthem as a protest toward police brutality and racial inequality. During a speech Friday in Alabama, President Donald Trump said athletes who fail to stand for the anthem should be "fired" and on Sunday, said NFL fans should boycott games until athletes decide to "stop disrespecting our flag."