Getty ImagesSorry anyone who wants to buy a classy flask that features the Confederate flag, or what John Oliver called "one of those symbols that really should only be seen on T-shirts, belt buckles and bumper stickers to help the rest of us identify the worst people in the world," but retailers are dumping that kind of merchandise.
Following the tragic massacre in Charleston, S.C. that left nine people dead, there has been outrage across the country over the fact that this symbol of racial intolerance is still allowed to fly. The Confederate flag was featured prominently in photos of Dylann Roof, the man charged with the gruesome murders.
And considering the attack on the all-black church was racially motivated, displaying a flag that represents the slave-owning South is being viewed as offensive, tasteless and downright wrong. So much so that consumers started a trend on social media called #TakeItDown, asking retailers like Walmart, Amazon and more to remove any Confederate flag merchandise from their shelves.
So far, retail giants Walmart, Sears, Amazon, Etsy, Google Shopping and eBay, have announced that they will stop selling merchandise that displays the Confederate flag. Consumers flooded the social media accounts for these companies, asking them to remove those items after there was a reported surge in the sale of Confederate flag-related products.
Walmart was the first retailer to announce its decision with a statement released on Monday night.
"We never want to offend anyone with the products that we offer. We have taken steps to remove all items promoting the confederate flag from our assortment - whether in our stores or on our web site," said Walmart spokesman Brian Nick. "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."
Sears, Amazon, eBay, Google and Etsy soon followed suit.
"We have decided to remove content containing the Confederate flag from Google Shopping and Ads," a Google spokeswoman told Recode. "We have determined that the Confederate flag violates our Ads policies, which don't allow content that's generally perceived as expressing hate toward a particular group."
An eBay spokeswoman said the decision to stop the selling and auctioning of "the contemporary symbol of divisiveness and racism" on the website was "consistent with our long-standing policy that prohibits items that promote or glorify hatred, violence and racial intolerance."
Valley Forge Flag, one of the biggest flag manufacturers in the U.S., also announced on Tuesday it will stop making the Confederate flag.
Reggie VandenBosch, vice president of sales at the 133-year-old company, told Business Insider that they hope the decision "will show our support for those affected by the recent events in Charleston and, in some small way, help to foster racial unity and tolerance in our country,"
"We do not want to continue to hurt people," he added.
If you would also like to make a donation to the victims of this tragedy, a website has been set up by the city of Charleston for the Mother Emanuel Hope Fund with instructions on how to contribute.