That Wal Mart T -shirt, What are you going to do Wal Mart?

With a very simple width adjustment the two skulls fall almost perfectly into line. [Graphic by Bagelblogger]

A Few Blogges have been thinking about the combination of the Totenkopf icon and the year 1978 which appears on those Nazi T Shirts' that Wal Mart sold.

The Totenkopf on the Wal-Mart T-shirt looks very similar to the divisional insignia of the 3rd SS Division Totenkopf. As you can see, It's almost an exact copy.

Now my initial gut feeling is that 19-78 was chosen as it's a hip time, class of 78 etc etc, much like class of 76, 75 etc.

Heaps of T-shirts happen to use the ' retro class of' look.

But there are a few connections to 19-78 that worry me.

One is it was the year that the Turner Diaries were published. Now I hope you don't know what the Turner diaries are, but to those attracted to the extreme Far right they represent a landmark in American Nazi Politics.

The Turner Diaries, first published in 1978, is a novel popular among far-right extremists. Written by William Pierce (under the pseudonym of Andrew Macdonald), it portrays the violent overthrow of the Federal Government, and the systematic killing of Jews and non-whites in order to establish an "Aryan" world.

From ADL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skokie,_Illinois

The other possible connection is the the Skokie Nazi March of 19-78

Skokie is the traditional home of a sizable Jewish population, although in recent years the town has significantly diversified and much of the Jewish population has moved to other suburbs. In 1977 and 1978, members of the National Socialist Party of America (an offshoot of the American Nazi Party) attempted to march through Skokie. The NSPA planned to rally in Marquette Park, Chicago; the city reacted by placing a ban on all demonstrations in the park. Seeking another venue, the NSPA chose Skokie. On account of the large number of Holocaust survivors in Skokie, it was believed that the march would be disruptive, and the village refused to allow it. The American Civil Liberties Union intereceded on the behalf of the NSPA in National Socialist Party of America v. Village of Skokie, and the march was permitted to proceed under court order but they were not permitted to show or wear the swastika. However, due to the recant of the Marquette Park ban, the NSPA ultimately rallied in Chicago.

From Wikipedia:Skokie

Now I believe and hope that this was all just a terrible mistake in picture selection by a T shirt designer, I believe that the year 1978 doesn't bare any importance to the iconography which appears on the T Shirt in question

What's important here is, that Walmart:

1. Failed to recognize a symbol which is actually banned in some countries because of its strong affiliation with the Nazi party and Far right Neo Nazi politics.

2. Sold an Item of clothing that features a very offensive logo.

3. Failed to act in a speedily manner in removing the stock, to stop further sales of this offensive piece of merchandise

Now the ball is in Wal mart's corner.

Now those Neo Nazi's who walked/drove down to Wal Mart to buy the slowly removed stock are highly unlikely to be encouraged to bring the offensive merchandise back.

But there are a whole group of people who have brought these T shirts, most unwittingly, and given encouragement would bring them back to be destroyed.

Its not enough to offer a refund. Wal Mart has made a serious mistake, I believe with no malice, but never the less they have helped distribute these highly offensive T shirts in a way that few companies could have.

I believe if Wal Mart truly cares about what has happened, they should offer an inducement to customers who mistakenly brought these T shirts.

They should offer Two T shirts from a similar quality range for every one of these offensive T shirts sold.

To offer a refund is simply not enough.

Walmart must accept that they provided assistance in the distribution of these vile T Shirts.

Well Wal Mart? What are you going to do?

References:
ADL: Q & A on the Turner Diaries
Wikipedia: Skokie March
Skokie Public Library: Historical Archive of the Attempted Nazi March
Banned Iconography in Germany: English Translation , In Original German

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