Kent State University blasts red-stained sweatshirt sold by Urban Outfitters
Kent State University blasts red-stained sweatshirt sold by Urban Outfitters
Emily Vincent, the schools director of media relations, invited the companys brass to 'gain perspective' on the 1970 incident that left four dead and nine other wounded.
A sweatshirt being sold by Urban Outfitters featuring fake blood stains and tattered edges with the logo of Kent State University, where four students were killed in a 1970 incident that shocked America, is beyond poor taste and trivializes a loss of life, university officials said Monday.
The $129 vintage Kent State University sweatshirt is washed soft and perfectly broken in, the clothiers website boasts, offering a loose, slouchy fit for those seeking gruesome reminders to the campus killings that rocked the nation, leaving nine others wounded.
We take great offense to a company using our pain for their publicity and profit, university officials said in a statement to FoxNews.com. This item is beyond poor taste and trivializes a loss of life that still hurts the Kent State community today.
This shows the continued lowbrow of Wall Street, and Urban Outfitters continues to perpetuate a low standard of ethics, Dean Kahler, 64, who was paralyzed in the shootings, told FoxNews.com. I invite anybody who has been made aware of this now to visit the May 4 Visitors Center at Kent State in person or online.
"We take great offense to a company using our pain for their publicity and profit."- Kent State University
Emily Vincent, the schools director of media relations, invited the companys brass, as well as anyone who invested in the item, to gain perspective on the incident by touring the schools May 4 Visitors Center, which opened two years ago to commemorate the shootings by the Ohio National Guard.
May 4, 1970, was a watershed moment for the country and especially the Kent State family, the statement continues. We lost four students that day while nine others were wounded and countless others were changed forever.
The sweatshirt, which comes with faux spattered blood and tattered edges, was no longer available on the companys website as of Monday morning, but some critics took note prior to the decision.
Officially done patronizing urban outfitters and any of their affiliates, one Twitter post read. I am all for bold statements when done respectfully.
Another Twitter post read: Will there be Columbine and Sandy Hook style [available] too?
Tags
Who is online
178 visitors
Officially done patronizing urban outfitters and any of their affiliates, one Twitter post read. I am all for bold statements when done respectfully.
Urban Outfitters keeps putting their foot in their mouths. This is pretty damn disgusting on their part.
I agree, I think it's in bad taste to promote shirts like these.