Ravens' John Harbaugh defends Colin Kaepernick's right to protest anthem

OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh said Monday that he respects Colin Kaepernick's right to protest the national anthem and cited a French Enlightenment philosopher in doing so.

"Voltaire so eloquently stated, 'I may not agree with what you say, but I'll defend it until death your right to say it,'" Harbaugh said. "That's a principle that our country is founded on. I don't think you cannot deny someone the right to speak out or mock or make fun or belittle anybody else's opinion."

Harbaugh has talked with Kaepernick two or three times over the years and knows him through his brother Jim, who drafted Kaepernick in 2011 and coached him for four seasons with the San…