San Francisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler told reporters he will stand for the national anthem on Memorial Day when his team opens up its road series against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Kapler has recently been avoiding the field during the national anthem as a protest of the school shooting in Texas last week and the effort going into reducing gun violence.
“Today, I’ll be standing for the anthem,” Kapler wrote in a blog post on Monday. “While I believe strongly in the right to protest and the importance of doing so, I also believe strongly in honoring and mourning our country’s service men and women who fought and died for that right. Those who serve in our military, and especially those who have paid the ultimate price for our rights and freedoms, deserve that acknowledgment and respect, and I am honored to stand on the line today to show mine.”
The skipper also said in his post he will be donating to two charities — Heart & Armor, which works with military veterans, and Everytown, which aims to end gun violence.
Kapler has gotten support from across the sporting world for his decision to protest, including from fellow Bay Area coach Steve Kerr. The Golden State Warriors HC called the decision to peacefully protest “the American way.”
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