U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy. MD

Special to American Press

Just when we thought identity politics could not get crazier after the Democratic debates, it does. This week, the story broke that Nike was coming out with shoes themed after Betsy Ross, the woman credited with designing the first American flag at the height of the American Revolution.

However, because former NFL quarterback, and leader of the national anthem protest movement, Colin Kaepernick told Nike he associates the Betsy Ross flag with slavery, the company has pulled the product from store shelves.

Now this ignores the fact that Betsy Ross had nothing to do with slavery. She was even a part of the Quaker faith that played a major role in the abolition of slavery. She was a strong woman who interjected herself into a history dominated by men and left an enduring symbol of liberty. She made a statement that led to freedom for Colin, for me, and for you.

Attempts to taint the true meaning of the Betsy Ross flag, or succumbing to the will of those who do so, is disrespectful to our nation’s true values. It is disrespectful to the men and women who, since 1776, have given their lives to preserve them.

I hope Nike is more concerned about the accuracy of the history that unites us, than the identity politics that divide us. Its corners may be frayed, but our flag is beautiful. Our flag is not offensive. 

I wish everyone a wonderful Fourth of July. God bless America.

At Orange Grove Cemetery in Lake Charles, La., Monday, May 27, 2019. (Rick Hickman/Lake Charles American Press)

Rick Hickman