Walmart To Stop Selling Confederate Merchandise

[Webster]

CNN: Walmart To Stop Selling Confederate Merchandise

(CNN)Walmart, the country's largest retailer, will remove all Confederate flag merchandise from its stores, the company told CNN Monday.

The announcement is the latest indication that the flag, a symbol of the slave-holding South, has become toxic in the aftermath of a shooting last week at a historic African-American church in Charleston, South Carolina. Gov. Nikki Haley announced in a Monday afternoon news conference that she supports removing the Confederate flag from the state capitol grounds.

Walmart.com currently carries the Confederate flag as well as attire featuring the flag's design, such as T-shirts and belt buckles.

"We never want to offend anyone with the products that we offer. We have taken steps to remove all items promoting the confederate flag from our assortment -- whether in our stores or on our web site," said Walmart spokesman Brian Nick. "We have a process in place to help lead us to the right decisions when it comes to the merchandise we sell. Still, at times, items make their way into our assortment improperly -- this is one of those instances."

Walmart's statement came in response to a CNN inquiry Monday. In addition to Walmart, CNN asked Amazon and eBay whether they would remove Confederate flag merchandise from their sites. Neither company responded to repeated requests for comment.

The long-running debate over displaying the Confederate flag on government buildings took a swift turn after last week's massacre in Charleston, which left nine African-Americans dead in their church. The shooter, 21-year-old Dylann Roof, has confessed to the murders and has said he wanted to instigate a "race war."

One widely circulated photo of the shooter holding a gun and a Confederate flag has stirred intense outrage. Critics of the flag quickly called on South Carolina to take down what is widely viewed as a symbol of racism.

Amazon.com lists pages of Confederate flag-related merchandise, ranging from the flag itself to folding knives, T-shirts, blankets and even shower curtains.

eBay also carries the Confederate flag and accessories such as handbags and jewelry. The online auction site's "offensive material policy" bans the sale of items that "promote hatred or racial supremacy including historic and current items."

Haley on Monday declared it was time to remove the flag from the capitol grounds. "This flag, while an integral part of our past, does not represent the future of our great state," the second-term governor said, in an announcement that drew thunderous applause and cheers.

Haley was surrounded by many of the state's elected officials, including Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott, Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn and Republican Rep. Mark Sanford.

Many of the 2016 GOP presidential candidates and likely candidates -- including former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker -- voiced their support for Haley's decision following her speech.

Thoughts?

 

[WHO IS SERAFIN]

Collapsing to the tyranny of the minority for stupid reasoning. Because we know how offensive the HOT WHEELS car from the Dukes Of Hazzard is. Idiots the whole lot of them!

 

[Jazzy]

This is flat-out silly. The flag didn't murder those people in Charleston; a lunatic did, and the flag itself had nothing to do with it. Yeah, the flag made him do it. It had magical powers....

 

[DrLeftover]

They've already stopped selling guns in some stores, and the tobacco section is almost non-existent.

Next will be pork. And things with Christian symbols. And of course booze. THEN all meat.

But, of course, stuff made in China is fine.

 

[McConnaughay]

Good. Beyond all else, and beyond its other representations, it will always be interconnected with racism. It's offensive. I read a Facebook comment the other day, and it said something along the lines of, "Why do you care about the flag? Or if they're racist anyway!? It's like country music. You don't have to like country music." Which is just about the stupidest perception out-there and I feel like a lot of folk carry that consensus. Racism is something that stands an adamant part of our culture, and while idiots like to rationalize it in a million different ways, it's bullshit and detrimental. Individuals love acting like racism doesn't exist. "He's a psychopath," but the reality is that it was a racially fueled massacre that killed those people in Charleston. And reading stuff like this is becoming a norm.

 

[Dee]

I think I'm going to start flying a swastika flag off my balcony; a big one, too, that covers my neighbor's balcony so that everyone knows I'm all about the Sanskrit meaning of "good fortune" and "well-being".

 

[WHO IS SERAFIN]

Oh geez ban the Florida flag it looks to much like the confederate flag.

These same morons who want to ban and hide our history now are saying the Jefferson memorial has to go because he owned slaves.

Im sick and tired of these race baiters telling us we are a racist country. We are not even close to a racist country. The rascists are the one fueling this stupidity. We are the worlds true melting pot. Americans only see color because these leftist idiots insist on it to keep a division. I mean for heavens sake 15% of this country is married into interracial marriage including me.

All I can say is im glad Americans are protesting by having the confederate flag flying off the shelves. I never had a interest in the flag but I am buying one tomorrow to speak up against this crazyness.

 

[Dee]

Sorry to break it to you, TL, but we are still a very racist country. That's just a fact of being a human being. We fear those things we don't understand or are different from and often times respond in anger and look down upon the thing that is different. The more we try to deny there's no racism in this country, the less progress we'll actually make to eradicate it. Time to open up your eyes and pay attention to what is clear and obvious.

 

[WHO IS SERAFIN]

Sorry to break it to you, TL, but we are still a very racist country. That's just a fact of being a human being. We fear those things we don't understand or are different from and often times respond in anger and look down upon the thing that is different. The more we try to deny there's no racism in this country, the less progress we'll actually make to eradicate it. Time to open up your eyes and pay attention to what is clear and obvious.

Bull crap! We are hardly a racist country. You can look across this country and if you are willing to work and get a education people are by a overwhelming majority could care less about your race or color. But there are plenty of the race baiters who love to make it look that way.

 

[Dee]

Bull crap! We are hardly a racist country. You can look across this country and if you are willing to work and get a education people are by a overwhelming majority could care less about your race or color. But there are plenty of the race baiters who love to make it look that way.

I could give you 5-10 examples of racism that occurs to this very day in this country, which is more than I'd actually like to give you in this case. It's sad knowing I could even provide one example, but it would still be one too many.

 

[McConnaughay]

I could give you 5-10 examples of racism that occurs to this very day in this country, which is more than I'd actually like to give you in this case. It's sad knowing I could even provide one example, but it would still be one too many.

Describing something, no matter how eloquent and accurate, will not make a blind man see.

 

[Dee]

Describing something, no matter how eloquent and accurate, will not make a blind man see.

Hence why I didn't bother to list them out. xD Believe me, I've attempted civil and logical conversation with TL before. I'd like to think I know I can't cure stupid.

 

[Webster]

This is flat-out silly. The flag didn't murder those people in Charleston; a lunatic did, and the flag itself had nothing to do with it. Yeah, the flag made him do it. It had magical powers....

....you're right, Jazzy, absolutely right. Its' just a symbol...its' a symbol that has - like the Sanskrit swastika Dee mentioned earlier - been appropriated by those who would commit savage acts in the name of racism and bigotry. Frankly, it belongs in the damn garbage, along with the swastika.

Good. Beyond all else, and beyond its other representations, it will always be interconnected with racism. It's offensive. I read a Facebook comment the other day, and it said something along the lines of, "Why do you care about the flag? Or if they're racist anyway!? It's like country music. You don't have to like country music." Which is just about the stupidest perception out-there and I feel like a lot of folk carry that consensus. Racism is something that stands an adamant part of our culture, and while idiots like to rationalize it in a million different ways, it's bullshit and detrimental. Individuals love acting like racism doesn't exist. "He's a psychopath," but the reality is that it was a racially fueled massacre that killed those people in Charleston. And reading stuff like this is becoming a norm.

....well said, Nicholas. Well said indeed.

 

[identityissues8]

Describing something, no matter how eloquent and accurate, will not make a blind man see.

Well said to Nicholas, and all others actually taking the moral stance on this.
I can't believe I'm shocked they were selling Confederate merch to begin with...Like, really - the Swastika is illegal in Germany, so too should be an equally hateful symbol in the USA.

This History blahblah...Fine, it's a piece of History, leave it there in the past along side slavery, segregation, lynching, witch burnings and torture*. Other atrocities we don't hang on to for the 'sentiment'.

*Okay, I guess this last one still happened until recently...You know, what with Gitmo and all.

 

[identityissues8]

....you're right, Jazzy, absolutely right. Its' just a symbol...its' a symbol that has - like the Sanskrit swastika Dee mentioned earlier - been appropriated by those who would commit savage acts in the name of racism and bigotry. Frankly, it belongs in the damn garbage, along with the swastika.

....well said, Nicholas. Well said indeed.

Holy crap! Are you normal again!?!?!?!?
*BIG HUGS!!!*

 

[Webster]

Holy crap! Are you normal again!?!?!?!?
*BIG HUGS!!!*

Oh, well...no, I'm still a conservative and I'm still an unabashed supporter of that Middle Eastern bastion of liberal democracy - otherwise known as Israel; in this case, my opposition to the Confederate flag comes from a simple understanding that the flag represents not just racism & bigotry but also treason for those who fought under it, @identityissues8 , were fighting to dissolve & rip asunder this great union we call the United States of America.

People tend to forget & wash over that particular aspect of it.

 

[WHO IS SERAFIN]

I could give you 5-10 examples of racism that occurs to this very day in this country, which is more than I'd actually like to give you in this case. It's sad knowing I could even provide one example, but it would still be one too many.

And I could give you triple the amount of examples of the opposite on a daily basis. With 300 million American in this country overwhelmingly most of us have left racism in the rear view mirror decades ago. But I guess for some feeling like a victim is something they want and need.

 

[WHO IS SERAFIN]

Describing something, no matter how eloquent and accurate, will not make a blind man see.

Describing and giving actual facts are two separate things.

 

[WHO IS SERAFIN]

Hence why I didn't bother to list them out. xD Believe me, I've attempted civil and logical conversation with TL before. I'd like to think I know I can't cure stupid.

Please list them. I would love to exchange the success of how far minority have gone and done in this country from being president to taking political office at every level in every state in this country. Now if you can show enough examples to make at least 10 percent of 300 million Americans racist we can have a further conversation.

 

[WHO IS SERAFIN]

....you're right, Jazzy, absolutely right. Its' just a symbol...its' a symbol that has - like the Sanskrit swastika Dee mentioned earlier - been appropriated by those who would commit savage acts in the name of racism and bigotry. Frankly, it belongs in the damn garbage, along with the swastika.

....well said, Nicholas. Well said indeed.

Well if someone is offended now in this world of being offended for everything by god history must be erased even if people do not know or understand the entire aspect of it from a flag.