US retailers like Walmart, Kmart and Sears have pledged to stop selling Confederate flags and related paraphernalia, but major e-commerce platforms like Amazon and eBay have yet to pull products bearing the emblem.
A church shooting in Charleston, South Carolina that left nine black Americans dead has prompted a wave of protests over the presence of the flag, especially in the south where it is considered a symbol of southern pride for some and a potent reminder of the racism inherent in the regions history for others.
South Carolina has said it will take the red banner with a blue X and stars down from its state capitol building. Lawmakers and protesters are calling for similar measures in other states.
Amazon and eBay, though, have remained silent on the issue. Neither company responded to e-mailed questions from Quartz about whether they will join the ban.
A search for Confederate flag on Amazon yields over 30,000 resultsincluding bikinis, electronics, and home decor decorated with the flag. Theres a Confederate flag mink bedspread, antique-look flag iPhone covers, and even elaborate lampshades.
A search on eBay pulls up over 1,600 listings.
While these companies remain mum, Amazon customers have taken to the platforms question and answer sections to express their thoughts. Regarding a polyester Confederate Rebel Flag sold by Rhode Island Novelty for $5.05, shoppers recently asked:
(Amazon)
Some previous patrons of Rhode Island Noveltys Confederate flags offered helpful answers:
There is no end to the ignorance in this country,and it is purposeful. People tend to believe for life what they are taught as children,and children in this country have been taught lies about slavery and the Confederacy since the 1860's.
The teachers teaching it believe this nonsense,too. All they know is what they have been taught,and teaching is where students go who lack the ability to do anything else.
People tend to believe for life what they are taught as children,and children in this country have been taught lies about slavery and the Confederacy since the 1860's.
The all-time greatest debunking of the Lincoln myth was written by black author, Lerone Bennett, Jr., for a half-century an editor at Ebony magazine. His book, Forced Into Glory, Abraham Lincoln's White Dream, was published in 2000.
The teachers teaching it believe this nonsense,too. All they know is what they have been taught,and teaching is where students go who lack the ability to do anything else.
That's why it's important to establish national education standards in math, science and history.... To expunge these ignorant, outmoded and objectionable views from mainstream society. The rebellious Confederacy was a disgraceful blemish on our nation's history and should never be cast in a favorable light.