Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick has become the face of Nike’s “Dream Crazy” ad which has resulted in an uncalled-for uproar.

Two years ago, Kaepernick knelt during the national anthem to protest police killing unarmed black men. His peaceful protest sparked a flame of great controversy and while the talk about it died down a bit when he parted ways with the 49ers and the NFL, the minute Nike released the new campaign in September, the embers of that old flame sparked again and became a three-alarm fire on social media and in discussions across the country.

The ad features 16 athletes, including Kaepernick, with inspirational stories of dreams other people thought were insane. All athletes featured were people who accomplished their dreams defeating stereotypes or discrimination. The vision of this commercial overall is “don’t ask if your dreams are crazy, ask if they’re crazy enough.”

The instant hate on Kaepernick started again because in the commercial he looks up at an American flag and says, “Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything.”

By kneeling during the national anthem he put his football career on the line and also took the chance of never signing with another team or business again.

Kaepernick was and still is standing up for injustices in our country through this commercial. He doesn’t deserve the backlash he has received. He was exercising his First Amendment right to speak on what he feels isn’t right in our country.

One of the biggest arguments against Kaepernick is that he is “disrespecting our military,” but it was a U.S. Army veteran who gave Kaepernick the idea to protest by kneeling. Kaepernick went to him to figure out the best way to get his message across without offending the military. Other veterans have stepped up in support, stating that they served for his right to protest, and not for allowing police brutality to continue.
But still, people such as President Donald Trump continue to attack him.

“I think it’s a terrible message that shouldn’t have been sent,” Trump said in a Sept. 4, Tweet. “There’s no reason for it.”

While the attacks on Kaepernick are unjustified, another problem with the public’s reception of the commercial is that they completely fixated on him and not the overall message nor the struggle the other athletes went through. People didn’t stop and take notice of the ten-year-old wrestler Isaiah Bird who was born without legs and still fights to wrestle and continue to play other sports. Nor did they notice the five-time boxing Berlin champion Zeina Nassar who faced discrimination for being a Muslim who fought to wear her hijab while participating in the sport. The Nike ad is NOT just about Kaepernick and his kneeling. It focuses more on chasing your dreams no matter how crazy they seem.

In addition to criticizing Kaepernick again, those who oppose him have taken to bad-mouthing Nike for featuring him. Many have decided to boycott the athletic wear company. As soon as the commercial was released opposers took to social media saying that they wouldn’t buy Nike products any more. Some even decided to cut or burn the Nike gear that they already owned.

The burning of their clothes in protest shows just how short-sighted and immature Kaepernick’s opposers are. They could’ve donated those clothes and shoes to the needy, but instead tried to make a statement which ended up backfiring.

According to Time Magazine, Nike’s sales increased by 31 percent the day after Kaepernick’s ad aired, making Nike’s market value go up by $6 billion.

Kaepernick and Nike are making a difference by calling attention to the ugly parts of this country that society would rather sweep under the rug, and they risked it all to do so. Nike knew that they could potentially lose business with the “Dream Crazy” campaign. They did it anyway. And this time, the risk was worth the reward.

We must stop hating the ones who have the courage to stand up and fight to make this country better. We’ll never truly be the land of the free until the brave like Kaepernick and Nike are no longer punished for taking a stand.