A white racist, who was reportedly looking to start a race war when he gunned down nine members of the historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, SC, has achieved an unintended consequence — the removal of Confederate flag merchandise from retail stores and websites including those operated by Sears Holdings and Walmart.
"We have taken steps to remove all items promoting the Confederate flag from our assortment — whether in our stores or on our website," Walmart spokesperson Brian Nick told CNN. "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."
While Sears and Walmart have pulled the controversial merchandise, other retailers still offer belt buckles, clothing, flags and other apparel bearing the Confederate symbol. An online check last night found numerous sites and marketplaces selling Confederate flag-themed merchandise including Amazon.com, Café Press, Drysdales, eBay and Sheplers.
Source: cafepress.com
The Café Press site, which featured a number of items with the flag, also included an anti-rebel shirt that included the flag's image with a circle and a line through it. The shirt includes the message, "Stop the hate."