This t-shirt and other tasteless versions are arousing a furious backlash
By Irish Echo Staff
Talk about bad timing and appalling taste.
The Ancient Order of Hibernians is leading protest calls aimed at Amazon for the site's marketing of "Irish Lives Matter" t-shirts.
And critics have also aimed their ire at Walmart for selling similar and other related items.
"Amazon continues to hypocritically talk about embracing respect for all heritages and diversity while peddling prejudice for profit. Currently on Amazon there are 142 Items for sale with the phrase 'Irish Livers Matter.' One of the items is even labeled 'Amazon’s Choice,'" said the Hibernians in a statement.
"This is in addition to numerous items emblazoned with 'Irish Lives Matter,' but certainly 'Irish Livers Matter' plumbs new depths of defamation. There is no uninformed or misguided positive spin or nuanced interpretation one can put on 'Irish Livers Matter;' it insults two heritages for one low price."
The AOH statement took aim at Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos stating: "The hypocrisy of Mr. Bezos’ publicly virtue signaling on Amazon’s policy of respect and diversity while continually peddling prejudice for profit is cynically hypocritical.
"The Hibernians have repeatedly reached out to Amazon concerning their defaming merchandise, most recently concerning their sale of a 'F*** St. Patrick’s Day' shirt, including a petition with over 5.000 signatures, only to be ignored. The sale of the 'Irish Livers Matter' shirt is just another example of Amazon's diversity duplicity.
"Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos once stated, 'diversity and inclusion are not just good for business, but simply right.' Those words ring contemptuously hollow when Amazon chooses to sell 'Irish Livers Matter' merchandise."
Meanwhile, The Hill newspaper was reporting that Walmart is facing backlash for selling t-shirts that are derived from the “Black Lives Matter” slogan including ones that say "All Lives Matter," "Blue Lives Matter," "Irish Lives Matter" and "Homeless Lives Matter."
The world’s largest retailer has recently been selling the shirts online at Walmart.com and on the Walmart Canada website, the political paper reported.
Walmart, according to the report, said in a statement to CNN that the online marketplace includes third-party sellers who must pass a review based on a number of criteria before they are approved to sell items on the website.
"Sellers can’t post illegal or prohibited products and the additional criteria includes ensuring the products they sell comply with all applicable laws, regulations, legal requirements, and generally accepted industry standards."
The Hill reported that Walmart Canada, however, appeared to pull down the “All Lives Matter” shirts from the retailer’s Canadian website after facing backlash over the designs, this according to an initial report by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
But not, seemingly, the other t-shirts including those with "Irish" in them.
CNN separately reported that clothing bearing the phrases "All Lives Matter," "Blue Lives Matter" and "Irish Lives Matter" have also been available on Amazon.
There is also a t-shirt being sold on Amazon that states "Drunk Lives Matter." This and the "Irish" t-shirts are being flagged, in late June, as purchases and/or gifts....for St. Patrick's Day.
