Kent State University blasts red-stained sweatshirt sold by Urban Outfitters

[onedef92]

Kent State University blasts red-stained sweatshirt sold by Urban Outfitters

Published September 15, 2014
FoxNews.com



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 clothier’s 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 school’s director of media relations, invited the company’s brass, as well as anyone who invested in the item, to “gain perspective” on the incident by touring the school’s 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 company’s 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?”

Company officials, meanwhile, insist they never intended to allude to the shootings.

"It was never our intention to allude to the tragic events that took place at Kent State in 1970 and we are extremely saddened that this item was perceived as such," a statement released Monday read. "The one-of-a-kind item was purchased as part of our sun-faded vintage collection. There is no blood on this shirt nor has this item been altered in any way. The red stains are discoloration from the original shade of the shirt and the holes are from natural wear and fray. Again, we deeply regret that this item was perceived negatively and we have removed it immediately from our website to avoid further upset."

Urban Outfitters has been previously criticized for insensitive or intentionally outrageous clothing, including a T-shirt that simply featured the word “depression” and appropriation of Native American patterns and icons.

A listing on the company’s website earlier indicated that just one sweatshirt was available for purchase and one user on eBay has reportedly claimed to have paid $550.

President Richard Nixon, in a statement at the time, said the national tragedy should remind all Americans that when “dissent turns to violence” it invites tragedy.

“It is my hope that this tragic and unfortunate incident will strengthen the determination of all the nation's campuses, administrators, faculty and students alike to stand firmly for the right which exists in this country of peaceful dissent and just as strong against the resort to violence as a means of such expression,” Nixon said.

[Datawiz]

Wow! That is beyond poor taste.

[onedef92]

That is too jacked up!

[island14]

It's Nixon's fault..

[C5SilverBullet]

"There is no blood on this shirt nor has this item been altered in any way. The red stains are discoloration from the original shade of the shirt and the holes are from natural wear and fray."

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight.

[RED-85-Z51]

Have never heard of this incident..

In school we usually ran out of school year near the 1950's....so its not surprising we never got ot the Vietnam war era..

[NDMIKE88]

My BIL was a student at Kent State at the time of the shootings.

[ApexOversteer]

Originally Posted by RED-85-Z51

Have never heard of this incident..

In school we usually ran out of school year near the 1950's....so its not surprising we never got ot the Vietnam war era..

I didn't learn about it in school either. I heard the song by CSNY and went looking for more information myself.

[Steve Austin]

Originally Posted by RED-85-Z51

Have never heard of this incident..

In school we usually ran out of school year near the 1950's....so its not surprising we never got ot the Vietnam war era..

The kids at Kent wanted the ROTC program removed. Did not end well.

[RED-85-Z51]

Originally Posted by Steve Austin

The kids at Kent wanted the ROTC program removed. Did not end well.

Damn straight.

[RED-85-Z51]

Just did some reading. Looks like they were protesting the war, and the cambodian offensive....they were ordered to disperse and refused. Ohio natl guard was dispersing them when the guard got themselves funneled up...someone panicked sd 67 shots were fired into a crowd.

[Mike Mercury]

Originally Posted by RED-85-Z51

Just did some reading. Looks like they were protesting the war, and the cambodian offensive....they were ordered to disperse and refused. Ohio natl guard was dispersing them when the guard got themselves funneled up...someone panicked sd 67 shots were fired into a crowd.

my brother was there; as a police officer.

There were "trouble maker" spokes-persons that would travel from college to college; whipping up a frenzy
then quietly and quickly leaving before it'd turn ugly.

They didn't care of the outcome of their deeds; they weren't from that town (whatever area they were in at the moment) anyways. In the next college town they would claim "peaceful protest"... and deny they were responsible for the mess at the last college they held a rally at. And CBS was there to make certain you heard the "peaceful protest" claims... and then make the college security and local police look like idiots.


The SDS was formed in the late 1960's to create exactly this.

With all that stated; Kent State was a cluster-**** though, and the National Guard IMO wasn't completely blameless.

[Mike Mercury]

every time Walter Cronkite ended a news broadcast in that era with:

"and that's the way it is"

he was being a big socialist liar. What he was really saying was:

"that's the way I want it to be"

[Kevin_73]

Originally Posted by Mike Mercury

With all that stated; Kent State was a cluster-**** though, and the National Guard IMO wasn't completely blameless.

I'm not sure who the genius was that decided it would be a good idea to give the NG live ammo to control a bunch of hippies, but he should have been prosecuted for manslaughter.

I was only 5 years old when this happened so I didn't really understand what was going on, but I definitely remember seeing reports of it on TV and realizing that it was bad.

[Aerovette]

My sincere apologies, but I kind of find it humorous...then again, I am a huge fan of T-Shirt Hell.

I don't have the balls to wear most of what they sell, but their shirts are funny to me.


Note: It was a terrible part of history and a terrible tragedy.

[Black94lt1]

Originally Posted by ApexOversteer

I didn't learn about it in school either. I heard the song by CSNY and went looking for more information myself.

Being from Ohio and growing up in the 70's, you couldn't not know about it.

[LATB]

Originally Posted by aerovette

My sincere apologies, but I kind of find it humorous...

really? humorous? as in, the shirt make you laugh? or the outrage is humorous?

[69camfrk]

Originally Posted by datawiz

Wow! That is beyond poor taste.

It makes you wonder just wtf is wrong with corporate America to think there was anything cool about that. The fact that Guard troops fired on the students is beyond belief anyway.

[Czarvette]

Originally Posted by Mike Mercury

every time Walter Cronkite ended a news broadcast in that era with:

"and that's the way it is"

he was being a big socialist liar. What he was really saying was:

"that's the way I want it to be"

Whaa...? Uncle Walter, "the most trusted man in America," was a pinko?

[Steve Austin]

Originally Posted by 69camfrk

It makes you wonder just wtf is wrong with corporate America to think there was anything cool about that. The fact that Guard troops fired on the students is beyond belief anyway.

Sad day in American history.