"The First Amendment is a serious thing. America is built on it. You don't have to like what the other fellow said, but the other fellow has a right to say it."

This situation involving Colin Kaepernick and Nike has a lot of people talking.

There are many voices on the situation which has created a firestorm of commentary and opinion. Some are protesting Kaepernick and Nike, others are voices in favor.

I have an old friend -- I call him "The Old Philosopher" -- who weighed in on it today. We chatted over a couple of iced teas with a splash of lemon.

"You know Leon," said 'The Old Philosopher.' "I support the First Amendment."

We were in agreement.

"A lot of people got angry at then-NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who began the practice of not standing for the playing of the National Anthem because it was his way of protesting racism in America," said 'The Old Philosopher.'

I realize Kaepernick has that right. So, too, do the people who protested him. Freedom of speech on both sides of the issue.

But the heat of the day increased with Nike -- celebrating the 30th anniversary of its 'Just Do It' campaign -- used a photograph of Kaepernick with the quote "Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything."

Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything. #JustDoIt pic.twitter.com/SRWkMIDdaO — Colin Kaepernick (@Kaepernick7) September 3, 2018

That brought out some protests of Kaepernick and Nike. Some people ripped off their Nike gear and set it afire. That increased the heat, but it was also the First Amendment -- freedom of speech.

You see, this whole scenario revolves around the First Amendment in the U.S. Constitution. The right to protest on both sides. A few weeks ago, President Trump weighed in on NFL players taking knees during the playing of the National Anthem. Mr. Trump turned up the heat on an already hot topic and now there's more fire with the Nike-Kaepernick ad.

The First Amendment is a serious thing. America is built on it. You don't have to like what the other fellow said, but the other fellow has the right to say it. You don't have to like Nike or wear its gear. Or if you want to burn up your Nike clothes, you can do that. They are yours.

But freedom of speech belongs to all of us.

Inside me, this one of freedom of speech is what I'm talking about. It is the foundation of our country and our constitution. It is about your right to speak your mind, and Nike's right too.