Colin Kaepernick, contemplating which color pen to use to write RGB back. Photo by Kelley L Cox—USA TODAY Sports
These are bizarre times, huh? Who could have predicted that in 2016 we would see an open dialogue between an 83-year-old Supreme Court justice and an NFL quarterback about racial injustice? Well, start taking that for granted because here we are: three exchanges deep into their he said-she said.It all started when liberal-leaning Ruth Bader Ginsburg felt the need to comment on 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick's decision to kneel during the national anthem in protest of police brutality and racial inequality. She called his actions ""dumb and disrespectful," in an interview with Yahoo's Katie Couric and then effectively doubled down by saying, "If they want to be stupid, there's no law that should be preventive."Kaepernick then came back with a good one, calling out RBG as a typical, complicit white person in a position of power who de-legitimizes black protest by calling it 'idiotic, dumb, stupid.' (Yes, that's basically the same woke-ass language that he used.)So today, maybe recognizing the errors of her ways, old RBG took it back:"Some of you have inquired about a book interview in which I was asked how I felt about Colin Kaepernick and other NFL players who refused to stand for the national anthem," Ginsburg said in a statement, according to Todd Ruger of CQ Roll Call. "Barely aware of the incident or its purpose, my comments were inappropriately dismissive and harsh. I should have declined to respond."Some outlets are calling it an apology, but it's not. She just says that she wasn't aware of the circumstances, and that she shouldn't have said anything. And indeed, maybe next time—I can't believe I'm typing this—she should take a cue from Clarence Thomas.