To commemorate America’s Independence Day, Nike had planned to release a special edition sneaker bearing the original thirteen-star Betsy Ross American flag. But before they could go on sale, the sportswear giant abruptly decided to pull them from shelves after claims that the inclusion of the Betsy Ross flag is inappropriate because of its supposed symbolic connections to slavery and white supremacy.

Many supporters of Nike’s decision were quick to justify the recall by pointing to the fact that extremist groups like the Three Percenters had begun using a slight variation of the Betsy Ross flag as their own in recent years. But in using these rogue ideological extremists as the justification for distancing themselves from America’s founding flag — a symbol of our hard-fought independence and the values we were founded on — are Nike officials not clearly letting the bad guys win?