RIGHT WING HYPOCRISY
Hypocritical Conservatives Mercilessly Mocked for Destroying Their Own Nike Apparel to Protest Kaepernick
Conservatives are once again proving their ignorance and hypocrisy.
On Monday, sportswear giant Nike announced it had chosen Colin Kaepernick to be the face of the 30th anniversary of its “Just Do It” campaign. (Kaepernick has been with Nike since 2011.)
And “pro-veteran” conservatives went ballistic.
Kaepernick, of course, is the NFL quarterback who began protesting the police killing of unarmed Black men and teens. His decision to respect the U.S. flag by kneeling during the playing of the national anthem while silently protesting has been viewed by conservatives as disrespecting the flag, veterans, and law enforcement officers, which is the antithesis of his actions.
Social media has been filled with posts showing right wingers destroying their Nike shoes, socks, and other apparel in an effort to “boycott” the $34 billion 54-year old U.S.-based multinational corporation.
One of the most widely-mocked was country musician John Rich, who bragged that his soundman ripped the Nike trademark swoosh logos off his socks in protest.
Our Soundman just cut the Nike swoosh off his socks. Former marine. Get ready @Nike multiply that by the millions. pic.twitter.com/h8kj6RXe7j
— John Rich (@johnrich) September 3, 2018
Of course, it doesn’t work that way. As many reminded Rich and many other conservatives, destroying something you’ve already bought isn’t a boycott, it’s just throwing money out the window. Not to mention, as this Twitter user noted, the utter hypocrisy:
If your soundman can peacefully protest at work without loosing his job, why couldn’t @Kaepernick7!
— YK (@simplyyaking) September 4, 2018
But tell that to this very mistaken “Lover of Liberty”:
First the @NFL forces me to choose between my favorite sport and my country. I chose country. Then @Nike forces me to choose between my favorite shoes and my country. Since when did the American Flag and the National Anthem become offensive? pic.twitter.com/4CVQdTHUH4
— Sean Clancy (@sclancy79) September 3, 2018
Worse, as liberal writer, comedian, and activist Steve Marmel points out, if these Nike-destroying conservatives are so convinced that Colin Kaepernick is disrespecting America’s veterans and flag (he’s not), they could have donated those items to veterans.
If you burn/destroy clothes and shoes instead of bringing them to a veteran charity, don’t talk patriotism or honoring vets.
You are throwing away something SOMEONE you say you respect needs to be spiteful and look cool on social media.
It proves your outrage a lie.#NikeBoycott— Steve Marmel (@Marmel) September 4, 2018
“It proves your outrage a lie.”
Others have echoed similar thoughts:
Here’s an idea. If you think America’s veterans deserve more respect, why not donate your clothes to a veterans’ charity instead of cutting them up with scissors like a dumb, spiteful little brat? #NikeBoycott
— Matthew Chapman (@fawfulfan) September 4, 2018
Author Tomi Ahonen went one step further:
Let me get this straight?
So an athlete protests police brutality & racism. Not a fake issue, a real & persistent problem.
Major brand supports the athlete
Now some call for #NikeBoycott ???So they are SIDING with RACISM and police brutality?
I think your KKK robes are showing— Tomi Ahonen (@tomiahonen) September 4, 2018
As did film producer and anti-racism strategist Tariq Nasheed:
All these suspected white supremacists who are doing this #NikeBoycott are fully aware that Kaepernick (and other players) are not “protesting against the flag”. They create these types of deflective, false narratives on purpose to avoid the topic of systematic white supremacy
— Tariq Nasheed (@tariqnasheed) September 4, 2018
Meanwhile, MoveOn.org’s Jordan Uhl totally mocked conservatives, pretending to “drone strike” his Nikes:
In true American fashion I just DRONE STRIKED my Nike shoes! #MAGA pic.twitter.com/0S9C6lgAkE
— jordan (@JordanUhl) September 4, 2018
And more examples of people exposing total right wing hypocrisy:
I guess conservatives are done trashing a POW during his funeral and are now back to pretending it’s black people who are the unpatriotic ones. #NikeBoycott
— Aღanda (@GrnEyedMandy) September 4, 2018
Anyone participating in a #NikeBoycott is proving exactly why #ColinKaepernick was kneeling in the first place: because too many white people value their songs and flags and privilege, above the lives of people of color.https://t.co/b7uTtOsOGH
I’m support #Nike
— John Pavlovitz (@johnpavlovitz) September 4, 2018
And others are taking the opportunity its to show their support for Kaepernick, and Nike:
We are participating in the opposite of the #NikeBoycott. I just bought a new pair of nikes for each of my kids and myself. Go Kaep go!
— AltEPA (@ActualEPAFacts) September 4, 2018
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