Whatever you believe about the ethics of sitting down, don't tell me the easy thing to do would be to stand silently with one's teammates.

I couldn't disagree with more.

Sure, Colin Kaepernick may have made a political statement by not rising for the signing of his National Anthem, and it may very well be an effective one in terms of his stated goal of "raising awareness."

But don't tell me it was the hardest thing he could have done. 

Don't tell me he chose NOT to do the easiest thing.