Update: below
A T-shirt being sold at a city clothing shop is insulting to military members across the country, says a former Edmonton soldier.The men's shirt, sold at HG2 Clothing in Southgate Mall, has sent ripples of frustration through the Edmonton's large military community.
The shirt reads, "Join the army, learn a trade, butchering."
Where was that again? Oh yeah, Edmonton's HG2 Clothing in Southgate Mall.
Update: From Pete in the comments:
As a matter of our loyalty to the Military, Canadian or otherwise, my dad was a RECON soldier for the U.S.M.C. in Viet Nam. He has since written a book on PTSD and his personal struggles with the after effects of war. A quick read of his book will tell you that those of us related to him are WELL aware of the personal sacrifice made by those who fight for our freedom, as his personal and mental health are still very much an issue today. My wife's grandfather fought for the Canadian Armed forces in WWII.
I take the idea that we at HG2 are non-supporters of the Military very seriously. I give thanks every day for those who fought so we can enjoy our freedom, which includes being able to own and operate a local business, where the local press makes at least the very minimal attempt to provide a piece of journalism that includes balance and a chance at the truth.
As a former member of the press (I was a reporter at the Calgary Sun for 2 years before getting into business for myself), the fact that this story was allowed to go to press without giving a local Alberta business at least the chance to respond is very disappointing. This would never have happened when I was with the Sun organization just over 5 years ago.
WE sincerely apologize to anyone that has been offended and we are here to have a conversation with anyone who may wish it.
They are gonna need a lot more Mall Cops.
From the linked article, and god help us anyone actually read anything past the headline: "The shirt is not available on HG2's website and a trip to the store revealed that it was nowhere to be found on the shelves."
There's no story here.
What is lance suggesting? A blockade of a store for selling an evil shirt which apparently they aren't even selling?
What? Are you saying that there are stores at Southgate that sell things other than perfume, cosmetics, women's clothing and cellphones?
"Staff there refused to comment and attempts to reach the store owner were not returned by press time"
If they did not sell the shirt why should they refuse to comment, and why the store owner was not accessible?.
On the website it says :"HG2 Clothing is owned by us, Lindsay and Rob, local Albertans....... We are always in one of the stores, and are easily accessible to all of our customers."
"Join the mosque. Learn a trade. Demolition."
On sale now, surely.
The problem with free speech is that someone needs to control it???
In case you wanted to send them a message like I did:
http://www.hg2clothing.com/contactus.html
Freedom of speech covers all speech including this. Offensive? Yes. So what?
Didn't call for them to not sell the shirts. Just asking that people don't spend money there.
As mentioned above, it's a free country. If they want to destroy their own business base let them do it. It is also our right to let them know what a bunch of a$$holes they are if in fact they did carry this message.
Now now now. Let them sell their shirts. Just have a boycott of the store. We have to let them have their right to speech too, even if they're morons.
Let people buy and wear the shirt if they want to. I'll know that they're leftie imbeciles as soon as I see them.
Now they will have to decide whether to wear their Che T-shirt or their anti-military T-shirt. Their heads will explode.
Lance said: "Didn't call for them to not sell the shirts. Just asking that people don't spend money there."
Lame excuse Lance. Everybody knows only LEFTIES are allowed to boycott stores. You're just not playing by the rules here!
Monty Python Live!
"'Ere, that's an offensive shirt, that is!"
http://www.historicaviation.com/product_info.po;jsessionid=vOB9Ig3tlp7BaQEEI3fJAb1p?ID=6250
The Baby Killers
German Air Raids on Britain in the First World War, Fegan. The WWI airship and aeroplane raids by Germany on Britain constituted the first strategic bombing campaign in history. It was an unwelcome means of waging war that provoked panic and resentment. The raiders, demonized as 'baby killers' for causing civilian casualties, diverted the military from the Front. This book discusses the places and people affected and features previously unpublished photos. 224 pgs., illus., 6"x 9", hdbd.
#0005945
And I had always thought the dreaded "Huns" were the "baby killers."
Did Monty Python let Charles Paisley the Baby Crusher out of his cage?
http://books.google.ca/books?id=x0PbXrxZAxoC&pg=PA187&lpg=PA187&dq=charles+paisley+baby+crusher&source=bl&ots=aRfOlgWWW-&sig=AGQkj6EIrmr93NDb3En9XRsU9to&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Qox0UKKxF4m8iwLu44DYCA&ved=0CEEQ6AEwBjgK#v=onepage&q=charles%20paisley%20baby%20crusher&f=false
Vince: "Well one day I was at home threatening the kids when I looks out through the hole in the wall and sees this tank pull up and out gets one of Dinsdale's boys, so he comes in nice and friendly and says Dinsdale wants to have a word with me, so he chains me to the back of the tank and takes me for a scrape round to Dinsdale's place and Dinsdale's there in the conversation pit with Doug and Charles Paisley, the baby crusher, and two film producers and a man they called 'Kierkegaard', who just sat there biting the heads of whippets and Dinsdale says 'I hear you've been a naughty boy Clement' and he splits me nostrils open and saws me leg off and pulls me liver out and I tell him my name's not Clement and then... he loses his temper and nails me head to the floor."
The t-shirt designer should read more Winnie...
“Tact is the ability to tell someone to go to hell in such a way that they look forward to the trip.”
― Winston Churchill
“We sleep safely at night because rough men stand ready to visit violence on those who would harm us.”
― Winston Churchill
“There is nothing more exhilarating than to be shot at with no result.”
― Winston Churchill
Cheers
Hans Rupprecht, Commander in Chief
1st Saint Nicolaas Army
Army Group “True North”
What about Disraeli (I think): "Diplomacy is the art of saying 'nice doggie' whilst one reaches for a stone."
We love the military here. One shirt seller with a hate on against the military, is just a loon looking for attention.
Rupprecht,
I think that your "rough men" quote was George Orwell, not Churchill. Anybody know for sure?
Add it to the list of daring yet Che-formist shirts....
Good on ya Lance. We need to know when things like this occur, and we need to get the info out there, so that we can be proactive. Believe it was Oscar Wilde who said socialism was nice, but it takes up too many evenings. It is time for the right to spend some evenings getting our point across.
So I sent an email to the company and received a reply asking where this shirt was available. I gave the woman the info so we'll see what happens. I told her in my email that neither I nor my friends or family (who happen to serve in Edmonton) would be frequenting their stores. No threats just boycott.
God, yes, let's not let the fact that the store is not in fact selling the shirt, nor has anyone been able to locate the actual shirt get in the way of our fine moral panic.
ella: Perhaps they weren't commenting because that's not the job of the retail staff?
Between this and the manufactured outrage over Jessie Sansone's arrest, I'm really starting to wonder about Sun News.
mojo at October 9, 2012 5:24 PM
Actually that quote, attributed to American entertainer/philosopher Will Rogers....
The art of diplomacy is how to say "nice doggie" while you reach for a rock.
However I commend you to quote Churchill and hope you will avail yourself of this trove.
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/w/winston_churchill.html
Anyone wanting to open up a business in Southgate Mall - there may be an opening so get in there.
This is disgusting even if it was not aimed at the North American military services.
This reminds me. I wonder if McNally Robinson in Saskatoon is still selling Che T-shirts?
Here was their reply to the message I sent trough their website:
Let's clear the air a bit here people, this t-shirt was purchased by us at HG2 as part of a blind buy when we opened our new space as we needed product quickly. The brand that produced this shirt is called Fresh Jive by the way, and was part of the 2010 Spring WORLD PROBLEMS collection.
When it arrived, it was our interpretation that it was a statement against 3rd world military regimes and gueril...
la factions, that recruit and use children on the front lines of their military. As in, they promise these children that they will become a man and learn the ways of life by joining their military, but then are used as human shields and forced to kill their loved ones so their only allegiance will be to these armies.
In no way did we take it as a statement against North American military.
As a matter of this journalist, Allison Salz, writing that we refused to comment and attempts to reach us were not returned, I would like to ask that this news agency to schedule a conference call with her and her editors, as well as myself as she has lied in this article.
The only attempt she made was to talk to an employee of ours.
The employee told her, as she should have, that she was not the person to talk to on behalf of the company, but we would be in at 10 am and gladly talk to her. No e-mails were sent. No attempt to phone either my wife or I were made. She did not leave a business card at the store with her information. No Facebook message was sent, and no twitter message was sent. All of these would have come directly to us and we would have gotten back to her immediately.
She also would have seen the discussion board from Friday on Facebook where I explained to the customer who brought this up our side of the story.
As a matter of our loyalty to the Military, Canadian or otherwise, my dad was a RECON soldier for the U.S.M.C. in Viet Nam. He has since written a book on PTSD and his personal struggles with the after effects of war. A quick read of his book will tell you that those of us related to him are WELL aware of the personal sacrifice made by those who fight for our freedom, as his personal and mental health are still very much an issue today. My wife's grandfather fought for the Canadian Armed forces in WWII.
I take the idea that we at HG2 are non-supporters of the Military very seriously. I give thanks every day for those who fought so we can enjoy our freedom, which includes being able to own and operate a local business, where the local press makes at least the very minimal attempt to provide a piece of journalism that includes balance and a chance at the truth.
As a former member of the press (I was a reporter at the Calgary Sun for 2 years before getting into business for myself), the fact that this story was allowed to go to press without giving a local Alberta business at least the chance to respond is very disappointing. This would never have happened when I was with the Sun organization just over 5 years ago.
WE sincerely apologize to anyone that has been offended and we are here to have a conversation with anyone who may wish it.
Thank you very much for your time.
Rob Honzell – owner – HG2 Clothing
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Sounds like another Journalist is about to get sued!
That really doesn't clear the air, totally. Did he not look at the product he put out, or did he just not care? Let's face it, there are a lot of goofs out there willing to wear this kind of crap. He could have pulled the stock of the racks, he made a conscious decision, and that is his right, he should have to live with it.
I sent an email that I thought was to the store but ended up being the management of the Mall. They have replied that they were unaware of the t-shirt but will investigate with the tenant and resolve the situation. She seemed surprised and a little disgusted. The reply of the owner above still leaves open the fact that he did have the t-shirt for sale and his rationalization is just that. It seems he's trying to put this off on the press, when in reality, he admits to selling the shirt. I stand by a boycott.
"In no way did we take it as a statement against North American military."
Yeah, because that would be just quazy, right?
I don't have a dog in this fight, since its unlikely I'll be in the Edmonton Mall any time soon. But really, if the store owner has any sense he'll pull it and replace it with a Canadian Army one, or even a Spitfire.