Tensions are high across the nation. All eyes are on law enforcement and the calls for police reform. Rioting and looting have ravaged communities from coast to coast, Black Lives Matter protests are still occurring and some are determined to keep going indefinitely. There seems to be this dividing line, where you either have to be pro-law enforcement and racist or you're in favor of Black Lives Matter and hate police officers. The issues that our nation faces aren't as cut and dry as that. It is possible to respect law enforcement professionals and want them to be safe and believe what happened to George Floyd was unjust and flat out wrong. Where we go from here is up to our leaders. The solutions they provide are what will move us forward (hopefully).
As this division continues, people are deciding to show their disdain for law enforcement by making, purchasing and even wearing anti-cop garb. Various sellers have anti-law enforcement t-shirts posted on Amazon. The most concerning one, however, is that "blue lives murder."
I reached out to Amazon to see if they would be allowing the listing to stay or if they would pull it. Four days later and I still have yet to receive a response. I think it's safe to say it's staying up (as it currently is at the time of this writing).
A friend sent me a screenshot of this shirt on @amazon. I couldn’t believe it but looked it up for myself and it is real.
— Beth Baumann (@eb454) June 12, 2020
This is utter trash. I would think amazon would pull something like this from their website, even if @JeffBezos is a lefty. pic.twitter.com/7CmdfQrVpc
Not only are "blue lives murder" shirts still available, but so are other offensive shirts, like "all cops are bastards" and "the government protecting and serving the s**t out of you," with an image of cops beating a person.
.@amazon never responded to my request for comment. After 4 days I'm assuming they won't. The original shirt is still posted, along with things like this:
— Beth Baumann (@eb454) June 15, 2020
ACAB is the acronym for all cops are bastards pic.twitter.com/Jcv48Ttrz0
There's also this. pic.twitter.com/988dTiEWyK
— Beth Baumann (@eb454) June 15, 2020
What's interesting is Amazon sellers are prohibited from selling things like Confederate flags but apparently these violence-inciting shirts are okay.
Companies are quick to virtue signal by saying they stand with Black Lives Matter – including Amazon – but they don't disavow things like this. It's a disgrace and it's putting our men and women in uniform in even greater danger than they already are.