Retail store, Urban Outfitters, is apologizing via twitter for selling a sweatshirt that "some see as trivializing a campus shooting from the Vietnam War era." Kent State is where the shooting took place that resulted in the death of 4 college students.
Kent State responded saying "“We take great offense to a company using our pain for their publicity and profit. This item is beyond poor taste and trivializes a loss of life that still hurts the Kent State community today".
Urban Outfitters responded via twitter in an explanation that basically says they apologize that the sweatshirt they sold COINCIDENTALLY pointed toward a certain situation in history.
The sweatshirt is now being resold on ebay for $550 by user kentstatesweater who claims to have ordered the piece of clothing and is waiting on its arrival. The description says the owner plans to donate 50 percent of the profit to The Southern Poverty Law Center.
As someone who shops at Urban a lot and honestly I'm disgusted. I can't believe something like this was actually approved and sold in stores.
ReplyDeleteThis is so insensitive and disrespectful to the people that were killed during the shooting.
ReplyDeleteIt's sickening that Urban thought it was alright to sell sweatshirts that relate to an old school shooting. It's disappointing that they did not take into consideration what the consequences of producing this sweatshirt.
ReplyDelete-Mackenzie McGregor
This is not the first time Urban Outfitters has sold inappropriate and disrespectful clothing. I think after the first couple of times they would learn to be more cautious of what they sell. This went way overboard and is very disrespectful. -Lindsey Galvan 4th period
ReplyDeleteYeah, this is in very poor taste. Obviously if they cared about this loss more than their profit gains this never would have been aloud in stores. Yet, they've caught our attention which I'm sure they had to anticipate. So whatever they wanted worked I guess.
ReplyDeleteLauren Kuehmeier, Period 2
When did the shooting take place? If it was recent thats just adding salt to the wound.
ReplyDeleteurban has always had some risky articles of clothing that have supporters and those against them. This piece in particular is pushing lines that almost no one can agree with or be able to see and not be disturbed. I don't know how this is supposed to make a "statement" but the drive for new innovative fashion just went too far.
ReplyDeleteMy jaw dropped when I first heard about this, I honestly thought that it was not real. Unfortunately it is, it's causing a lot of drama but it's needed drama, they can't just let this slide by. It would be like if we had a sweatshirt made about 10-20 years from now about the Columbine shooting. It's pitiful and disgusting.
ReplyDelete-Sophia Maas 2nd period