Walmart, Amazon, and Others Stop Selling Confederate Flag Images
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Items such as this "Rebel Flag Southern Pride Confederate Redneck Belt Buckle" will no longer be sold at Walmart. Walmart, eBay, Amazon, and Sears will discontinue the flag image that many consider a symbol of racism. The decision comes in the wake of nine murders at an African-American church in South Carolina.
Held by the southern U.S. states that supported slavery, the flag may fly for the last time on South Carolina state grounds. Governor Nikki Haley has called for the flag to be removed, a decision that requires a vote by two-thirds of the legislature.
Companies are following suit. In a statement by a Walmart spokesperson, the company promised to remove all items carrying the flag graphic:
"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. 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."
An eBay spokesperson said that the confederate flag "become a contemporary symbol of divisiveness and racism." The online site along with Amazon and Sears will stop selling products with the image.
Discussion Starters:
- What's the opposing view? Why do people favor the image of the Confederate flag?
- Did Walmart and the others do the right thing? Why or why not?
- What other companies would you expect to announce a similar decision to discontinue products?
