Nike is recalling scores of Fourth of July-themed sneakers featuring the Betsy Ross version of the American flag after former NFL player Colin Kaepernick said that they harken back to an era of slavery.
I hope Nike sues the living crap out of Arizona for every penny they’ve already spent in that state, and then locates somewhere else.
Its amazing how quickly the right wing has come to the defense of white supremacists.
The flag was the original flag of the 13 colonies. Kaep was right to protest it b/c the original Republic kept slavery yet let slaves count for 3/5th of a person to improve representation of racist slaveholders in our gov’t. It is directly connected to what we’re facing in 2020 today.
I guess they did “Just Do It.”
Kudos.
People still buy Nikes? They’ve been overpriced crap for years. Nike no longer can save trivial amounts of money making their shoes abroad–I guess we should be happy, but they’ll probably leave the minute the tax incentives end, so their threats now are likely to be meaningless in the long run.
Would Kaepernick protest the Union Jack? It was around during slavery.
The Confederate Flag is undoubtedly a symbol of slavery. The Nazi and Rising Sun flags are symbols of oppression.
The Betsy Ross flag may recently have been appropriated by some right-wing fringe group, but, on it’s own, it’s not a symbol of slavery any more than the various flag permutations from 1776-1865 are. This is just getting silly.
“featuring the Betsy Ross version of the American flag”
You mean the “so-called Betsy-Ross version” – which should be followed by a statement that there is no evidence that she designed or produced this flag? There is no evidence that Betsy Ross had anything to do with this flag.
Isn’t it illegal to wear the flag.?
Nike is all about creating demand for rare versions of shoes. These things will be commanding huge silly prices in the secondary market. Nike loves this.
That’s some serious flexing right there. Dude is wielding power. I like it.
I suppose. I think they’d still rather sell a few million shoes than a few thousand that then end up with high sticker prices in the collector market though.
Always happy for the opportunity to link this:
I completely support and admire him for taking the stance he does during the national anthem. This is a bit precious for me though.
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey ® responded angrily to the company’s decision Tuesday morning, saying that he’d withdraw financial incentives for a Nike manufacturing plant scheduled to open outside of Phoenix.
“Arizona’s economy is doing just fine without Nike,” he said in the multiple-tweet statement. “We don’t need to suck up to companies that consciously denigrate our nation’s history
BYE BYE 500 good manufacturing jobs So glad to have a republican governor
There are still some Republicans who stand on principle.
Unless Putin tells them not to ; - )
I’m with you on this. As a resident of one of the original 13 colonies and as an American, I identify with the Betsy Ross flag. It is a symbol of pride in our histories as Americans.
Yes, America was born in the original sin of slavery, but abolitionists also had a strong hand in the founding of our nation and a prominent presence in the northern colonies.
Protesting the anthem based on police brutality is completely legitimate, but protesting a flag because… America … is a step too far. Colin’s gonna lose a lot of people on this one.
Is Doug the brother of the esteemed Steve Doucey?
I know I’m not replying to your post on why or why not Betsy Ross doesn’t deserve credit for the flag or what your basis for that statement is, but the new commenting system is a not confusing.
Silly time!
I like Kaepernick, but this is ridiculous.
He’s getting to be a bit like the kid in this: