WATKINS GLEN, NY – AUGUST 07: Tony Stewart, driver of the #14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet, sits in his car in the garage area during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Cheez-It 355 at Watkins Glen International on August 7, 2015 in Watkins Glen, New York. (Photo by Matt Sullivan/Getty Images)
NFLRacingBy Harry Lyles Jr. on

The biggest sports story over the past few days has been that of Colin Kaepernick, and his refusal to stand during the national anthem in protest of the oppression that black people face and have faced in the United States for centuries.

Monday evening, race car driver Tony Stewart tweeted out against Kaepernick, saying that the San Francisco 49ers quarterback “needs to learn the fact about police.”

https://twitter.com/TonyStewart/status/770377330325909506

Naturally, Twitter users were quick as always to swing at Stewart for his remark. As you might expect, most of the attacks on Stewart referred to the driver hitting Kevin Ward Jr. with his car at Canandaigua Motorsports Park in New York two years ago.

Ward got out of his car and walked onto the track to confront Stewart after getting into an accident. As Stewart’s car approached, the back right tire hit Ward, dragged him, then sent him across the track. Ward later died due to massive blunt trauma.

https://twitter.com/Philatticus/status/770378508174372864

https://twitter.com/502eire/status/770381184178290688

https://twitter.com/LucaBrasi718/status/770379719372079104

https://twitter.com/Ethan_Booker/status/770383461211312128

And there was this fun exchange:

I don’t think that makes much of a difference.

Kaepernick’s stance (or in this case, refusal to stand) is an extremely hot button issue right now. And with outlets like social media, virtually everyone feels they have to weigh in with their opinion. Naturally, more people are going to pay attention to what athletes and celebrities say on the matter. Stewart has always been outspoken, so it probably shouldn’t be a surprise he’d contribute his own hot take to the discussion.

But next time, perhaps he’ll realize that he lives in the most fragile of glass houses as far as public perception and is no position to throw stones at someone else involved in controversy. Thinking twice before going after somebody isn’t Stewart’s style, but maybe some of these Twitter responses will make him pause just for a second before clicking “Tweet.”

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About Harry Lyles Jr.

Harry Lyles Jr. is an Atlanta-based writer, and a Georgia State University graduate.

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