...begging the question what the hell was it doing there in the first place?
“US retailer Walmart has removed from sale a T-shirt with a message about lynching journalists, after complaints.
The US Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) wrote to Walmart on Wednesday asking it to remove the T-shirt. It said Walmart appeared to be the only major US retailer selling the design.
RTDNA director Dan Shelley said such slogans "inflame passions" and "at worst, openly encourage violence targeting journalists".
"We believe they are particularly inflammatory within the context of today's vitriolic political and ideological environment," he said.
The RTDNA said about 30 journalists had been physically assaulted in the US this year while doing their jobs.”
The letter the RTDNA sent to Walmart speaks eloquently about the undesirability of selling lynching gear to deplorables…
“According to the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker, of which RTDNA is a founding partner, nearly three dozen journalists have been physically assaulted so far this year across the country merely for performing their Constitutionally-guaranteed duty to seek and report the truth. According to our fellow press freedom advocacy group Committee to Protect Journalists, at least 48 journalists have been killed in other countries around the world thus far in 2017.
It is our belief that at the least, T-Shirts or any other items bearing such words simply inflame the passions of those who either don’t like, or don’t understand, the news media. At worst, they openly encourage violence targeting journalists. We believe they are particularly inflammatory within the context of today’s vitriolic political and ideological environment.
As a fierce proponent of the First Amendment that is politically nonpartisan, we recognize Walmart’s right to sell the T-Shirts, and the right of consumers to purchase and wear them. However, just because Walmart has the right to sell the shirts, that doesn’t mean it is the right thing to do.”
No word yet if Walmart will replace the sought after Tee with another gem produced by the same company.
