San Francisco (CNN) Slammed as unpatriotic and disrespectful, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick has taken heat for refusing to stand during the national anthem. Local war veterans in San Francisco criticized him as a poor role model, according to CNN affiliate KRON. As the controversy grew, members of the military and veterans took to social media using the hashtag #VeteransForKaepernick, which started trending worldwide on Tuesday. #nofilter #VeteransForKaepernick pic.twitter.com/ZDPdmz9xMr — Erica Diggs (@DiggsandCo) August 31, 2016Don't use my service--or that of any veteran--to justify the silencing of black Americans. #VeteransForKaepernick pic.twitter.com/aI1TbxtgyS — Rich Madrid (@rjmadrid) August 31, 2016Kaepernick has said that his controversial stance is not directed towards people in the military.

Source: CNN August 31, 2016 05:46 UTC