[khawkins]

I'm not totally against, in general, artists and celebrities publicly sharing political opinions, but I am saying that those places which are supposed to be shared, places of common unity, shouldn't become places of polarization. Kanye West is welcome to have political opinions and go on podcasts and share them, but it would be inappropriate to bring them to something like the Grammys or a late-night talkshow. Colin Kaepernick is welcome to go to a BLM rally, but when he creates a spectacle of it on the field, he's wholly inconsiderate of those who don't agree with that sort of cop-hating message. People criticized him a lot for it, but is anything better for it?

These things aren't changing minds, they're just dividing people. People who agree with the messages feel good about it, and people who disagree turn away. Right-leaning people, who would otherwise hold Kaepernick in high regard as representing their city, now see him as an enemy, and he holds them in the same regard. This sort of thing is happening everywhere now, and it is what it is, but no one should be surprised when the country becomes increasingly polarized and uninterested in any sort of unity.