NIKE: Just Blew It!

By: American Decency Staff

 

Oh, say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro' the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watch'd, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof thro' the night that our flag was still there.
O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

Yes, the American flag has seen many battles and continued to fly; but one word from Nike spokesperson and former second-string quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, and the flag has been shelved. One might say he took a knee and now he takes the foot too.

The anti-America war continues

According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), Nike had planned to honor America’s historical flag with a new shoe. "The sneaker giant created the Air Max 1 USA in celebration of the July Fourth holiday, and it was slated to go on sale this week. The heel of the shoe featured a U.S. flag with 13 white stars in a circle, a design created during the American Revolution and commonly referred to as the Betsy Ross flag."

Where Nike saw red, white, and blue, Kaepernick saw only racism. "After images of the shoe were posted online, Mr. Kaepernick, a Nike endorser, reached out to company officials saying that he and others felt the Betsy Ross flag is an offensive symbol because of its connection to an era of slavery, the people said." (WSJ)

The “bombs bursting in air” today are not gunpowder and cannonballs; yet the flag is still in danger of falling. With neo-Marxist, communist, socialist bombs attacking all that this country has stood for; with false narratives and fake history exploding around “Old Glory;” and with many schools, universities, and textbooks breeding hatred toward this nation which has carried freedom and light into various nations, I’m concerned about what will stand at “twilight’s last gleaming.”

Poor decisions lead to poor profits

Even though Nike had already produced the shoe and shipped it out to their retailers, they quickly recalled the shoe and demanded that the “Betsy Ross Flag shoe” be returned. As if throwing money away to design, production, and shipping costs wasn’t enough, Nike’s loss didn’t end there.

Arizona’s Governor Ducey rightly reprimanded the shoe manufacturer with a string of tweets that read as follows. “Words cannot express my disappointment at this terrible decision. I am embarrassed for Nike. Nike is an iconic American brand and American company. This country, our system of government and free enterprise have allowed them to prosper and flourish. Instead of celebrating American history the week of our nation’s independence. Nike has apparently decided that Betsy Ross is unworthy, and has bowed to the current onslaught of political correctness and historical revisionism. It is a shameful retreat for the company. American businesses should be proud of our country’s history, not abandoning it.”

Governor Ducey continued, “Nike has made its decision, and now we’re making ours. I’ve ordered the Arizona Commerce Authority to withdraw all financial incentive dollars under their discretion that the State was providing for the company to locate here. Arizona’s economy is doing just fine without Nike. We don’t need to suck up to companies that consciously denigrate our nation’s history.”

How much will it cost the state of Arizona and how much will it cost Nike?

The Daily Wire reports, “Nike reportedly planned on investing $185 million to open a manufacturing facility in Goodyear, Arizona, which would employ about 500 people, according to city records, the Journal noted, adding that the Goodyear City Council, on Monday, ‘approved a package of incentives that would reimburse the company about $1 million in planning fees and about $4,000 per full-time employee Nike hires, according to city records.’”

With so many companies withdrawing from states over heartbeat bills and the like, it’s refreshing to see a state take a stand against a company that shows an obvious disdain for the nation, and its people, who have given them an opportunity to run, sprint, and “Just do it!” Nike, you Just Blew it.

Click here and thank Governor Ducey for his patriotic stand. Pray for him regarding potential pushback. Pray that other state leaders will follow his lead and be willing to take stands for life, for this nation, and for religious liberties.

---

To support our efforts please click here or mail your gift to American Decency Association (ADA), PO Box 202, Fremont, MI 49412. 

American Decency Association is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability.

---