Nike recently used an image of the famed quarterback Colin Kaepernick for advertisement. Unsurprisingly, this caused a huge reaction from both sides of the political spectrum. Due to this ad, we have seen many people burning and throwing their Nike gear away in protest. I’m not going to mention how this is unproductive because these people already PAID for the Nike gear that they are burning, but what I am going to do is give advice on things you can do instead of whine about it.
1. Take A Walk
Instead of whining about some guy “disrespecting the national anthem,” maybe you should blow off that extra steam by taking a walk. A walk will allow you to work off all that repressed anger and it might give you some insight onto what the more important things are in life. Then again, maybe you can’t take a walk because you burned all of your Nike walking shoes.
2. Call Your Mom
Do you find yourself throwing a hissy fit because a black man is protesting our good ole country? Maybe instead of getting mad at very misplaced claims, you should just have a good chat with your mother. It’s probably been a while since you called since you’ve been so busy yelling online, so maybe it’s time to pick up that phone. Who knows? Maybe your mother will talk some sense into you.
3. Relax
I think it is high time you took a nice relaxation day. You are probably angry because you are stressed out about work, family, or just life in general. Relaxed people do not burn their shoes just because a company you like posted a picture of someone you didn’t like. However you relax, be it by taking a bubble bath or meditation, I highly suggest that you do so and come back another day when you’re feeling better.
4. Donate
Hey! How about instead of burning all your Nike gear, you DONATE it to people who actually need it! Donate to those veterans you guys keep saying did more for the country than Kaepernick ever did. Not only will donating help others, it will hopefully make you a better, well-rounded person who cares about more than just themselves. Next time you are about to go on a rant about how veterans died for the right to stand for the national anthem, maybe you should just find your nearest donation center and run on over.
5. Volunteer
Hey, if you guys are really that concerned about homeless veterans and their needs, maybe you should volunteer! There are a lot of people out there who do not have the luxuries we do of shelter, clean water, and food, so they need our help. If you really cared about these veterans that you all keep talking about, you should actually go out there and do something to help them. (:
6. Educate Yourself
Chances are, you are greatly misinformed about what Kaepernick is protesting. Many of you think he is protesting the flag or the national anthem when he is in fact protesting against the brutal treatment of African-Americans in the country. Doing just a two second Google search will show you this! Next time, instead of assuming, make sure you are fully-educated on an issue before taking sides.
7. Be Kind
Come on guys, we are all better than this. Even though I just spent this whole article bashing on a lot of people, I still think we need to be kind to each other. It’s good for the soul. Try it out sometime.
In all seriousness, Kaepernick is kneeling for an actual problem in this country. African-Americans have dealt with racism and brutality for our entire history. To deny that is to be completely ignorant. America is a great country but we cannot just pretend that racism is not still an issue. This is shown in the many, many cases of police brutality against African-Americans. Colin Kaepernick bravely kneeled as a protest against racial injustice and has suffered a lot for it. This has led to his loss of jobs and a great deal of harassment. Racial injustice is still rampant in our country, and we all need to be taking steps to stop it.
Pic credit: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7