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On July 2, 2019 Nike recalled their Air Max 1 USA sneaker with the “Betsy Ross Flag” embroidered on the heel of the shoes because the face of their brand-former NFL quarterback, Colin Kaepernick -informed them that sporting a flag that represented a time in America when Black people were considered property might not be good look.
In true white American fashion, any time Nike does something that doesn’t align with their racist views the patriots took to Twitter. Not to say anything like “Huh, this brand I love thinks that people should have equal rights. Maybe people should have equal rights.” but more like “Boycott the n*****–lovers!”
White American Twitter, from plebeian to politician, had many 280 character-long remarks about the multi-billion–dollar, global corporation’s decision to remove the shoe. As though Mark Parker, the CEO of Nike, would ever see Twitter user @DanTheYankMan27 requesting that Kaepernick “…get the f**k out of our country if you don’t like it here…” Even if Parker did see the tweet, he’s not going to call up Finish Line in a frenzy demanding that they put the shoes back on the shelf pronto because Dan in New Jersey is pissed.
What Dan and so many other Twitter patriots fail to realize is that Nike is a clothing company with zero obligation to sell anything having to do with the fourth of July, the flag, bald eagles, the man on the moon and anything else they think represents “freedom.” The whole point of the shoe’s existence in the first place was to make an easy buck off of America’s overly patriotic spirit.
This boycott that the Twitter patriots are typing in all caps about is a weak attempt to hurt Nike’s profits by disguising racism as fighting for freedom. Blinded by their own ignorance, they don’t understand that the act of voluntarily recalling the shoe already hurts Nike’s profits and the company seems to be fine with that.
Nike spent millions of dollars to design, manufacture, and ship this shoe all over the country. Then they had to pull the shoes from rotation. So, all that money spent to create and sell the shoe has essentially been wasted. They’re not getting any of that money back, plus they have to spend more money to ship the shoes to wherever they send their recalled merchandise.
Nike has already taken a huge financial loss on their own accord, so why would they give two flying flips about what a few thousand racist white people on Twitter are going to do about it?
These Twitter patriots are boycotting the brand because the shoe is not available. That’s like boycotting Sephora because avocados are not available. Sephora’s profits won’t take a beating when their avocado sales are down, because there were never any avocado sales to begin with. In the same vein, Nike won’t renege on their business decision when the Betsy Ross shoe sales are down, because there is no Betsy Ross shoe to sell. Nike isn’t losing out on money because of anybody’s boycott, they’re losing out on money because they pulled their own merchandise off the shelves, as is their right to do.
The only thing they are really saying by boycotting Nike is “If you don’t take my money, I’m not going to give it to you anyway!” Yeah, they’ve got Nike right where they want them.
How many of the people who are upset were actually planning on purchasing the shoe anyway? Was Ted Cruz really about to camp out at the local Foot Locker to pick up the latest Air Max-1s? Was Josh Hawley on the Nike website at 11:59 pm Monday evening waiting for the sneakers to drop? I can imagine Mitch McConnell was planning to stunt on the all of his colleagues as he saunters down the Senate floor in his brand-new Betsey Ross’ like it’s the first day of school and every trip to the pencil sharpener is a fashion show.
How far gone are we as a country that when a clothing company decides not to sell something, it’s seen as an attack on freedom? Meanwhile, there are thousands of children in for-profit cages on American soil whose only crime was following their parents to a better life. But a shoe you weren’t even planning on purchasing gets recalled and that’s where all your energy lies.
The absence of a product created to profit off of American “freedom" isn’t an attack on anyone. If it means that much to you, go down your local Jo-Ann Fabric and Crafts, pick up an embroidery machine, and sew whatever you want to the heel of your shoe. There is nothing in the constitution that says you can’t design your own personal racist clothing. The KKK has been doing it for 154 years.
That “freedom of speech” quote that you spout off every time someone points out that your racist opinion is wrong, goes both ways. Nike is free not to sell anything it doesn’t want to sell, and you’re free to waste your time and energy being mad about it. Please remember, while you’re focusing on what could have been on your feet, there are Black and brown people in this country with way bigger “freedom” fish to fry.
