Nike has the right to decorate their shoes any way they desire. Colin Kaepernick has the right to offer marketing advice to any company that will take it. We have the right to purchase whatever brand of tennis shoes we choose. But, how sad is it that political hated has descended into sneaker purchases for kids? Why do adults feel the need to go there? With its dubious business history why is it to Nike’s advantage to go there? Isn’t it time to stop and think about where we are?
Spreading hatred is pretty sad…
There is something insidious about sneaker companies choosing to market their shoes with a left-wing worldview. Whatever happened to letting kids be kids? Childhood used to be a time when innocence was at least possible. When did it become more important to inculcate kids with adult political hatreds than to just get them neat sneakers? We are at a pretty sad place right now.
There is a danger with erasing the past. Clearly, Mr. Kaepernick is not big on context. Nor is he is not great at expressing a complete picture either. Something he should remind us of is the Regan quote that “we’re always one generation away from losing the freedoms we currently enjoy.” Between the Kaepernick’s, AOC’s and Islamists’ we have a smorgasbord of bad political direction available to us.
Arguments lacking logic…
Many Americans seem to be listening to the siren song of socialism. Maybe it is the human failings of greed and envy showing their ugly head. But, there is a persistent use of promises of free stuff and the growing censorship. There is also a rising belief that we somehow improve our present by erasing our past. We have been tolerating statue topplings, outlawing symbols, and rewriting pieces of our history.
Colin Kaepernick’s rejection of the Betsy Ross flag was devoid of logic. We should not limit Mr. Kapernick’s right to speak his mind. But, we shouldn’t ignore the flaws in his thinking either. He has argued that the Betsy Ross flag is racist. It is not now and it was not then.
Non sequiturs… things that do not follow
He reasons that because that particular flag flew at a time when slavery was legal in America the flag is guilty by association. Well, no. By the Kaepernick logic, then aren’t crosses are also racist? Weren’t they on churches attended by slave-owning congregants? Why not demand their removal? And what about the color gray? Should its use be outlawed?
What about the Bald Eagle? Wasn’t our national bird flying around when slaves were held? Why not protest it as well? Then there are the Great Seal, E Pluribus Unum, the Liberty Bell? It rang countless times while slavery was still the law of the land. Why not demand its removal? Tearing things down is easy. Building a great nation is not.
The right to be wrong…
Kaepernick’s argument is unpersuasive. Not because it’s unpopular or unpatriotic. It’s unpersuasive because it’s illogical. Senator Cruz was correct to call Kaepernick out on Twitter. We need to remember; America is the best, not because she is perfect and not because she is always right. America is the best because we are free, we treasure life and we respect property rights.
Conclusion:
Americans tolerate each other and encourage the open exchange of ideas. We make mistakes and we struggle to correct them. We have given back more, done more to eliminate poverty and increase freedom worldwide than any other nation in history. And we continue to tolerate Colin Kaepernick, not because he has something of value to contribute, but because we respect his right to freedom of speech.
