To preface this article, I fully support Black Lives Matter. There is absolutely no reason to harm someone because of their skin color. What needs to be understood is that there is fault and corruption in every profession, and the police force is no exception. We need to stand together and advocate for equality, instead of forming hostility against an entire race of people.

How did my Nike sneakers factor in to this? Honestly, the damage was already done, I gave the company more money. Yes, they made a profit off of me as a consumer, but that will no longer be the case. Right when the issue was explained to me by my mother, I took the shoes off my feet and sold them. Burning them would be a waste, so I chose to sell them. That way, someone who wanted them would get them at an extremely reduced priced without giving Nike anymore money.

I loved my Nikes, and Nike as a company, but I couldn't stomach the fact that they essentially made Colin Kaepernick the face of Nike. Police brutality is wrong in every way possible and he should stand against it; however, there are way more effective ways to protest against it. He made the decision to kneel in front of the flag, and that's his right, but he didn't have to broadcast it.

This country is not perfect in any way, shape or form, as a nation we have made so many mistakes, but that doesn't mean we should be blatantly disrespectful.

To me, him kneeling in front of the flag was a non-verbal "Fuck You" to the military [past and present]. I tried to give him the benefit of the doubt, but I really couldn't comprehend why he feels that he is above respecting the people who fought for this country. Also, the pig socks are unacceptable.

I fully understand that there are bad cops out there, but that comes with any profession. Instead of stereotyping an entire profession, why not try to intervene? Protest peacefully instead of being blatantly disrespectful. Colin does not understand that there are police officers out there that would fight and die for him.

Colin also does not understand how powerful his influence is. I've seen things on social media posted by high school age children talking about wanting to kill cops. Though Colin did not say he wanted to kill a cop, the message he is sending is making children hostile towards cops, which is wrong. As citizens we should be able to trust and respect the police. Going off of that statement, the police should also respect every citizen regardless of age, race, or social status.

How do we move forward? instead of reposting memes about hating the police, we should be using our voices to collaborate and find a solution. With all the money these NFL players make, they could be funding research and other solutions to this problem. I personally think we need to more exclusive when it comes to people entering the police force.

Racism is hideous and I don't stand for it, but I also won't stand for people disrespecting the country that my grandfather and brother fought for. If I said it once, I said it as million times: as a country we have made mistakes, we are corrupt, but we need to work towards equality. As Abe Lincoln once said, "A house divided against itself cannot stand." That is true 160 years later.

Instead of fighting, we need to come together and find a solution. With all of this technology, one wouldn't think we would be smarter, but we're only taking steps backwards.

My decision to sell my Nikes may have only gotten me enough money to buy bread and a few cases of Diet coke, but I did it knowing that I made the right choice. As a citizen, I will continue to fight for equality, and to educate myself on political issues instead of instantly taking one side. As whole, we have so much room to grow, so why don't we?