PacSun apologizes for offensive American flag shirt

Updated
PacSun Apologizes For Offensive American Flag Shirt
PacSun Apologizes For Offensive American Flag Shirt


One clothing retailer had Americans marching far away from its store on Memorial Day because of one T-shirt.

PacSun unveiled this shirt featuring the American flag upside down — which is an unofficial sign of distress. Members of the Military know that flags are only meant to be flown that way "in instances of extreme danger to life or property," according to the U.S. Flag Code.

An image of the mannequin sporting the shirt quickly went viral over the holiday, sparking patriotic outrage.

Online shoppers also expressed their disgust on PacSun's website under the T-shirt's review section.

"Try to have a LITTLE respect for the flag of the country that guarantees all those freedoms, and the men and women who died for that flag, huh?" Bill Benson wrote.

"As a Veteran who has lost Veterans, all I feel when seeing a shirt like this on display at an establishment I have purchased from before, is shame," Jess Leigh said,

But not everyone had a problem with it.

"How stupid! Pointless to fight for free speech if you can't exercise it!" Jeff Ward said.

"Keep it. It's not disrespectful or unpatriotic," one Facebook user posted on PacSun's page. "The upside down flag is traditionally a sign of distress. Can anyone argue our country is not in distress?"

In response to the backlash, PacSun has taken the shirt off shelves and released a statement, saying, quote, "As a retailer grounded in youth culture, PacSun values artistic and creative expression through the brands that we sell in our stores. Out of respect for those who have put their lives on the line for our country, we have decided to stop selling the licensed flag t-shirt and are removing it from our stores and website immediately. We thank the men and women in uniform for their extraordinary service."

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