I'm sure all of you have heard about people boycotting Nike because they chose to use Colin Kaepernick as the face of their brand in their newest advertisement. I'm also sure you've heard about how Kaepernick is "disrespecting" our nation because he chooses to kneel during the National Anthem.
If you haven't heard of either of those, then you must be living under a rock.
Since he first started kneeling during the Anthem, he has gotten a lot of backlash. People saying he's "disrespecting our country". However, what these people choose not to see is the real reason behind why he kneels.
He is not doing it out of disrespect for our country, but rather because he refuses to show pride in a flag that symbolizes a country that oppresses people of color.
After the first game, where Kaep sat down during the Anthem, he got more backlash. People said it was disrespectful to our military. So, he then talked to a military veteran about how he can peacefully protest the Anthem, who told him taking a knee is considered a sign of respect for the military. Kneel every day and it's never considered a sign of disrespect.
Remember the quote "thou shall not steal"? Well, in the Bible, when Jesus states that quote to Jairus, Jairus is said to be kneeling in front of him. Is that looked at as disrespectful? How about when sports players take a knee after someone gets hurt? Or when military soldiers take a knee in respect of a fallen soldier?
Not one of these instances is ever viewed as a sign of disrespect. Yet, when someone takes a knee during our Anthem to protest the unruly treatment of people of their race, that is automatically considered disrespectful? I wholeheartedly disagree with this.
Another thing, please stop wasting the products you ALREADY BOUGHT from Nike because they chose to have Kaep as the face of their brand. You've already given the company your money when you bought the item. There is no point in cutting the Nike symbols out of socks or burning the sneakers you bought. It's not hurting the company at all. They are still a multi-million dollar company. The only person it is hurting is you because you now have to go replace those shoes or socks.
If you disagree with the company using Kaep for their brand, that's completely fine. Don't waste the product you already purchased. Instead, donate it to someone who could use it. I am sure that there are people out there who would be more than willing to have a pair of Nike socks, shoes, or anything for that matter.
