Walmart takes down T-shirt about killing journalists

[demmiblue]

Source: The Hill

Visitors to Walmart's website could purchase a shirt calling for violence against journalists, up until the retail giant took the shirt down on Thursday.

“Rope. Tree. Journalist. Some assembly required," the back of the shirt available on their website read, a reference to hanging journalists.

The shirt was only removed from Walmart’s website after The Radio Television Digital News Association sent a letter to the retailer about the shirt, according to the group.

The shirt made headlines last year when a Trump supporter was spotted wearing it at a Trump rally in Minnesota days before the 2016 election.

http://thehill.com/homenews/media/362608-walmartcom-stops-selling-rope-tree-journalist-t-shirt

How in the world did they think it was acceptable to sell the shirt in the first place?!

[progressoid]

1. Not surprised.

Probably made in China.

[left-of-center2012]

2. From the linked article

“The shirt made headlines last year when a Trump supporter was spotted wearing it at a Trump rally in Minnesota days before the 2016 election.
... just because Walmart has the right to sell the shirts, that doesn’t mean it is the right thing to do.”

[jberryhill]

3. How in the world did they think it was acceptable to sell the shirt in the first place?

The simple answer is that they didn't think it was acceptable to sell the shirt in the first place.

Take a look at that screenshot.

Do you see where it says "sold and shipped by Treespring Inc."?

Just as with Amazon and a lot of other online retailers, not everything sold at Wal-Mart is something that Wal-Mart itself is actually selling.

They provide a retail platform for other people who want to sell stuff using the platform.

Do you actually believe there is a Wal-Mart employee somewhere who reviews each and every item sold by the various other retailers that use the Wal-Mart platform?

[LanternWaste]

4. It's a position called Senior Retail Buyer

"Do you actually believe there is a Wal-Mart employee somewhere who reviews each and every item sold by the various other retailers that use the Wal-Mart platform?"

It's a position called Senior Retail Buyer. That position signs off on all stocked inventory.

[jberryhill]

5. Wal-Mart is not the retailer

I'm not sure you understood my post, or the screenshot in the OP.

This is not an item which is stocked and sold by Wal-Mart. Their retail buyers have nothing to do with why this item is available for purchase through the website.