When I first heard about Nike removing its Betsy Ross flag shoes from the market, I was dismayed and thought that people where being too touchy-feely and too PC. Once I heard the context of the situation, I understood the objection.
I always saw that flag as a starting point for our new nation, and the amazing strength and wisdom of our Founding Fathers. It represented the ideals of freedom and diversity of our country. Then I came to understand that the 13-star flag had been co-opted by white supremacy groups and used along with the confederate flag to represent slavery and oppression. This is absolutely counter to what our early leaders wanted.
The shame here does not lay with the PC crowd, but with those who have stolen that flag and used it to represent evil, torture and death. I think the great men of 1776 would be sickened by the hate speech of today, by morons who don’t know the true history of what the Founders fought for.
They were not perfect and they knew it. They knew they had left things undone, but they had a vision of a great democracy where all men (and women) are created equal.
We need to take back the flag of decency, fairness and equality from hate- and fearmongers. That is the real problem here.
John Thomas
Evergreen, Colo.
The writer is a former Butler resident.