Independence Day and the days surrounding it tend to bring out the patriot in most people as red, white and blue tell the other colors to take a break and let them handle the birth of our country. However, tis the season for political correctness, as well.

No, I’m not going to go into my usual rant about how nobody refers to July 4 as Independence Day anymore. I thought about it, but you can thank Colin Kaepernick and the folks at Nike for hijacking my favorite soapbox sermon and declaring the image of one of the original American flags as “offensive.”

Of course, Kaepernick gained infamy for taking a knee at football games during the playing of the National Anthem, which he claimed was because he equates the Stars and Stripes to a country where police shoot and kill citizens while folks are just fine with that.  That stand—or more precisely—a lack of standing eventually got him blackballed from the NFL, but before he could pick himself up and dust himself off, Nike scooped him up and offered him the opportunity to be its latest celebrity spokesman.

Fast forward to earlier this week, when Nike planned to release a new set of sneakers that featured the American flag designed by Betsy Ross when we first became our own nation. The American flag, in all of its incarnations, has been a source of pride for our country for more than two centuries. They looked nice enough to me, although I highly doubt I would ever buy sneakers because they have cute little flags imprinted on them.

Kaepernick did not see the new shoes as a source of pride, however. He pressured Nike to pull the sneakers because he saw the Betsy Ross flag, with its beautiful 13 stars in a circle, as a symbol of slavery.

While I disagreed with Kaepernick’s views a couple of years ago, I supported his right to protest, not only because it is the right of every American citizen to do so, but also because it was an action that only impacted him. Now, however, he’s trying to dictate what the rest of us wear, and I really can’t support that. More importantly, he’s claiming the American flag is an offensive symbol and is trying to keep it hidden, and that is offensive to me.

Kaepernick was hired last year to spearhead Nike’s “Just Do It” 30th anniversary campaign, which generated protests of its own when people across America took all of their Nike gear and burned it. You would think that the backlash would make Nike executives think twice before making decisions based on Kaepernick’s word, but considering the company made a “True to 7” jersey in Kaepernick’s honor earlier this year, the frizzy-haired activist is clearly running the show.

The decision to pull the shoes would have sparked an uproar at any time, but to do it this week, of all weeks, Nike might as well have packed the foundation of its corporate headquarters with fireworks and lit a match. Screwing with America’s patriotic sensibilities on any day of the year is a recipe for trouble, but considering how heightened those sensibilities get the closer you get to Independence Day, you might as well make out your last will and testament.

I’ve given enough words to describe Nike and Kaepernick. Now, let’s look at our American flag. In 1776, we had had enough of England’s tyranny and decided to declare war. With our new country established, we needed a symbol that recognized the new nation and its revolution.

Betsy Ross designed a flag with 13 red and white stripes connected with a patch of blue with 13 silver stars to recognize the 13 original colonies. The flag has been, and always will be, the symbol for our country and the freedom we enjoy. I will never see it as anything else.

It’s a fact that black people did not get to experience that freedom until more than a century later, and even longer before they got to enjoy all the civil rights their pale-skinned neighbors did. However, the American flag did not cause the issue of slavery, the people of that era did, and they should be the ones that are condemned, not a piece of fabric that waves proudly in front of millions of homes and institutions today.

It’s also a fact that Betsy Ross’ version of the flag has been co-opted by white supremacists and other extremist groups for use in their literature and waved at their rallies. However, in America, thieves aren’t permitted to keep the items they stole. Perhaps instead of letting the nation’s wingnuts possess Betsy’s proud flag in perpetuity, we should take it back.

Even though it’s less common compared with our current 50-star flag, I say anyone who owns a Betsy Ross flag should bring it out this Independence Day and display it proudly. If you can find a way to hide Nike shoes behind or beneath, so much the better. Tell the politically correct that Independence Day is our holiday, and the American flag, in all of its forms, is our flag.

We don’t require a shoe company or a disgraced former football player to tell us what is or is not offensive. We can decide that for ourselves. As for Nike, considering this is the second time Kaepernick has caused an uproar for the company, maybe it should cut the guy loose and tell him to get a real job. Being the unofficial minister of cultural appropriateness really isn’t working out for him.

One more note: Perhaps the next time Nike considers generating an impromptu fireworks show, they’ll leave it in the hands of professionals.