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:
When blacks riot and kill whites, can we call for statues of Martin Luther King to be torn down?
If a black person were to burn a U.S. flag as his perceived symbol of slavery and oppression, would that provide cause to take down the U.S. flag from the White House?
Black activists making kids burn American flags in McKinney, Texas
Posted by soopermexican on Jun 8, 2015 at 9:54 PM
Well the protest industry is out in full force in McKinney, Texas, and they will make sure the arrests are portrayed as racially-motivated no matter what the truth of the matter is. And to show just how classy they are, they are reportedly burning American flags: