{"id":1227,"date":"2014-07-06T21:53:18","date_gmt":"2014-07-07T01:53:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aoh.com\/?p=1227"},"modified":"2014-07-06T21:53:18","modified_gmt":"2014-07-07T01:53:18","slug":"give-walmart-your-input-as-regards-merchandise-defaming-irish-americans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aoh.com\/2014\/07\/06\/give-walmart-your-input-as-regards-merchandise-defaming-irish-americans\/","title":{"rendered":"Give Walmart Your "Input" as Regards Merchandise Defaming Irish Americans"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Walmart's<\/a>
Walmart’s defaming “I may not be Irish, but I can Drink Like One Shirt”<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Brothers, I would like to update you on an item from the last issue of Hibernian Digest.\u00a0 As you will recall Walmart was selling several shirts fostering negative stereotypes and promoting ignorant misrepresentations of Irish Americans.\u00a0 Among the items sold was a shirt \u201cI May Not Be Irish, but I Can Drink Like One<\/em>\u201d, another \u201cBlame the Irish for My Behavior<\/em>\u201d and finally what has to be the hands down winner in the questionable judgment\/bad taste award the shamrock festooned \u201cIrish I Could Drink<\/em>\u201d Maternity top.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 We had sent a letter on February 24th<\/sup> and were acknowledge with a case number that same day.<\/p>\n

Well, after several phone calls in the weeks leading up to St. Patrick\u2019s day and promises of a response, I would like to report back that Walmart has finally deigned favor us with a reply:\u00a0 on April 4th<\/sup> (when I assume that they felt safe that they had milked the full \u00a0commercial value of this year\u2019s crop of defaming St. Patrick\u2019s Day merchandise).\u00a0 The response was amazing in its condescension and patronization:<\/p>\n

With more than 140 million people shopping our stores each week, we inevitably encounter a wide variety of viewpoints with respect to the merchandise we sell. We take our customers\u2019 feedback seriously and incorporate it into our product selection. As such, we made a point to ask for our customers\u2019 input on our St. Patrick\u2019s Day merchandise several months before finalizing the items that we would carry.\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

We are always evaluating our product assortment, and the feedback you\u2019ve shared is valuable to this process. We understand your point of view regarding the shirts you described, and our merchandise teams will continue to consider a broad range of perspectives as they work to serve our customers<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0Shelley Huff-Wolley<\/em>
\nSr. Director, Men\u2019s Apparel<\/em>
\nWalmart U.S.<\/em><\/p>\n

We have since asked Ms Huff-Wolley under what mechanism were \u201ccustomers asked for input<\/em>\u201d and approved such denigrating bigoted items as the \u201cI May Not Be Irish, but I Can Drink Like One<\/em>\u201d shirt. \u00a0Not surprisingly, given our past experience, we have not heard a response back.<\/p>\n

Brothers, it is up to us an all proud Irish Americans to provide our input<\/span>\u00a0<\/strong>to Walmart concerning denigration of our heritage.<\/p>\n

Please find a sample form letter to Walmart CEO Doug McMillon by clicking HERE<\/a><\/p>\n