Many people learned over the weekend that Colin Kaepernick would be the face of a Nike campaign. Much to the outrage of the far right conservatives who believe that the flag is being disrespected, Nike took a stand to not be on the sidelines.
We used to have a saying here in America:
I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend your right to say it.
The discourse on speech that people don’t agree with has become more than toxic. Even my fellow veterans, many are blinded by their reverence to the flag that stops them from seeing the real problems in the world.
They and many others seethe with anger when others do not conform to the way that they pay tribute to the flag. They forget that the flag represents all Americans regardless of their reverence to the sacred cloth of red white and blue.
They forget that they pledge allegiance not only to the flag, but to the Republic… with liberty and justice for all.
And so Kaepernick kneels, as he would at a grave to honor a fallen soldier. He doesn’t burn it, wipe his ass with it, drag it on the ground, but rather mourns for her, and looks at the angry people around who’s pledge are just empty words and false promises.
He tries to remind people that there are many in the US that do not get justice, and are in fact denied it regularly. That is what this is all about. Maybe we need a moment of silence to remember those who have fallen because their were denied justice.
Without ranting about flags and meanings, let’s just get back to agreeing to allow people the honor of speaking, and supporting their right to speak without having to agree with it.
The angry people who will burn their Nike shoes are on the wrong side of history. I don’t have an answer when things will change, but they can’t while Americans are in denial and are too concerned with whether you stand or kneel than if children are dying in the streets.