People are going after Colin Kaepernick again, this time by boycotting Nike, by burning and destroying Nike products, or going to social media to voice their opinion about the situation,  according to a cbsnews article by Aimee Picchi.  This backlash occurred after Kaepernick, who is endorsed by Nike, released a photo as a part of the 30th anniversary of the “Just Do It” slogan via twitter with the caption “Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything. #JustDoIt.” 

This backlash is another response to Kaepernick’s kneeling during the national anthem, in protest of racism and the injustices involved with it, specifically things like police brutality, which began in 2016 during the NFL preseason. President Donald Trump, his supporters and many viewers insist that his kneeling is protesting the military and the anthem itself. They noted that it is an anti-American sentiment overall. When other athletes followed suit and knelt with Kaepernick, people opposing the movement called for the firing of all players participating in the protest.

     The most well-known strategy of the recent Nike protesters has been the posting of videos that show them burning Nike shoes and cutting Nike socks to the internet. This is their way of striking out at Nike for the business relationship that they have with Kaepernick. 

Senior Rahasya Bharaniah voiced his opinions on the situation.

“Everyone has a right to do whatever they want if they don’t want to support Nike because of Kaepernick. They can do that. However, I do think people are misinformed about Kaepernick and kneeling during the anthem,” Bharaniah said. “People interpret [it] as going against the military and the national anthem when it isn’t. He didn’t mean for the people to interpret it that way.”

Sophomore Paul Enneking also voiced his opinion on the matter.

“If you are burning a $100 pair of shoes, all the power to you, but it is totally wasteful to do that,” Enneking said.

Many people share the opinion that destroying shoes and the like is wasting money because you have already dropped money for them that you won’t be getting back. It is even worse that the Nike products people are destroying could be given to people who need those types of items. 

The people destroying their Nike shoes and the like seem to be completely unaware of the many populations and people within them that need basic materials and clothing like shoes and socks. Meanwhile, they are burning high-end, expensive items that not everybody can get their hands on. 

Poverty is a nationwide, and, not to mention, a global problem that they are disregarding. While protesting someone who is standing up for what they believe in, the people standing against Nike and Kaepernick are destroying items that could be given to people that need them.  

It is ok for these people to destroy their items however they want, all the power to them. It is their choice to deface their personal property, and they aren’t doing anything criminal.

So far, the biggest visible affect the boycott has had on Nike and its products is a small impact on their stock value. Their stock has lowered 2.8 percent, from $82.99 per share to $79.93 per share since this whole incident started. 

Nike most likely will not drop their partnership with Kaepernick and will probably continue to keep bringing in similar revenue to what they usually earn. 

Despite the backlash they are receiving and the lack of a tangible impact, the Nike protesters have every right to do what they are doing. Just like Kaepernick, these people have the right to speak out for what they believe, regardless of anyone else’s opinions or stance on it.