Stetson pulls products from HatWRKS Over Vaccination Controversy

[Sonero]

I am surprised at the insensitivity of your post. This is not like the posts of yours I am familiar with. If I misunderstand, please correct me, but I read it as very insensitive.


To say I am disappointed at this situation at Hatwrks and the many other similar is an understatement. I am not sure what to do other than call out my displeasure.

Memorial Day weekend is helping center me. Cheers to all those who protected and continue to protect my freedoms, Eric -

I am surprised by your response to my post. This wasn't meant to be cruel at all just Late Night TV sarcasm as to what is going on in America. As in bringing light to a serious issue.

I am Jewish by the way and I mean't no harm by it.

 

[Short Balding Guy]

Sonero; Thanks for the response. I hoped it was just an interpretation challenge. I did not read the sarcasm in the post. Evidently my not watching late night tv puts me at disadvantage.

Cheers sir.

 

[Sonero]

Sonero; Thanks for the response. I hoped it was just an interpretation challenge. I did not read the sarcasm in the post. Evidently my not watching late night tv puts me at disadvantage.

Cheers sir.

No Problem.
I tend to have a rather dry sense of humor anyway. My point was to ease the tension and to bring laughter (light) to the situation.
No Worries. Have a great holiday.

 

[Bushman]

Business and politics should never mix. It's always a sure-fire way to shoot yourself in the foot.

 

[Louis Mountbatten]

Sonero; Thanks for the response. I hoped it was just an interpretation challenge. I did not read the sarcasm in the post. Evidently my not watching late night tv puts me at disadvantage.

Cheers sir.

You are not alone. I, too, saw no humor in it, and still don't.

 

[1961MJS]

Business and politics should never mix. It's always a sure-fire way to shoot yourself in the foot.

Bingo, Business and Politics don't match. My old neighbor in Illinois (passed away in 2015) decided to be all civic and ran for the School board in about 1985 or so. To quote, "Every time I voted for something, it made 1/3 of the people mad, but the time I'd voted 5 or 6 times, I'd made everybody mad. Nobody remembered the votes that they liked, only the one that made them mad." Local coffee place that's convenient to hit on the way to work insisted on writing BLM on all of their cups. I couldn't take that in to work because it would have irritated the customer. At least they were good about giving me a plain cup when I asked.

The yellow star of David was a sign that you weren't wanted BEFORE the Nazi's started sending people to camp to get euthanized. In short, a sign that you're not wanted. The lack of a vaccination is also a sign that you're not wanted. In that way it matches pretty well. I'd buy the patch for the collector value, but wouldn't wear it. Heck I haven't had a bumper sticker since the 1960's.

Jewish Badge: During the Nazi Era | Holocaust Encyclopedia (ushmm.org)

Later

 

[Louis Mountbatten]

Business and politics should never mix. It's always a sure-fire way to shoot yourself in the foot.

I agree with that. I am not comfortable at all with some corporation telling me what ideals and morals I am supposed to have. Their job is to makes stuff and sell it, not re-engineer a society.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Bingo, Business and Politics don't match. My old neighbor in Illinois (passed away in 2015) decided to be all civic and ran for the School board in about 1985 or so. To quote, "Every time I voted for something, it made 1/3 of the people mad, but the time I'd voted 5 or 6 times, I'd made everybody mad. Nobody remembered the votes that they liked, only the one that made them mad." Local coffee place that's convenient to hit on the way to work insisted on writing BLM on all of their cups. I couldn't take that in to work because it would have irritated the customer. At least they were good about giving me a plain cup when I asked.

The yellow star of David was a sign that you weren't wanted BEFORE the Nazi's started sending people to camp to get euthanized. In short, a sign that you're not wanted. The lack of a vaccination is also a sign that you're not wanted. In that way it matches pretty well. I'd buy the patch for the collector value, but wouldn't wear it. Heck I haven't had a bumper sticker since the 1960's.

Jewish Badge: During the Nazi Era | Holocaust Encyclopedia (ushmm.org)

Later

The compulsory wearing of the Star of David meant a lot more than “you are not wanted.” I don’t think it is at all right to equate it to not getting vaccinated. I believe that invoking The Holocaust or it’s related imagery for anything other than The Holocaust is never a good idea. I generally believe that people need to have thicker skin and not be so easily offended, but there are some topics that I believe should always be treated with most delicately.

 

[1961MJS]

The compulsory wearing of the Star of David meant a lot more than “you are not wanted.” I don’t think it is at all right to equate it to not getting vaccinated. I believe that invoking The Holocaust or it’s related imagery for anything other than The Holocaust is never a good idea. I generally believe that people need to have thicker skin and not be so easily offended, but there are some topics that I believe should always be treated with most delicately.

Yes note use of the term BEFORE the death camps. One of the few books I've given away concerned home front Germany. I gave it away because it disgusted me. The locals wanted a death camp in their neighborhood to give jobs to the local boys. I'm not totally sure that they DIDN'T know what they were getting. I got the distinct impression that they knew.

While I see why no one wants to see a yellow Star of David, I also see it's use to show the slippery slope. The stars and political camps started in 1933, but it progressed from there.

Later

 

[FedoraRedHat]

I will only write the following:

Humanity consists of individuals. Each individual has his/her own free will, and the ability to make decisions. The decision to consider a group of individuals as the same without considering their individuality results in a stereotype. If stereotypes are coupled with hate and/or violence, then events such as the Holocaust have happened.

Everyone (initially) has the potential for great good or bad. However, through wars and struggles, humanity has decided that there are things that we will not tolerate, such as hate. However, humanity has also found the ability to forgive. Once a person expresses hate, they are put on the path to forgiveness. If they refuse to follow that path, they will not be seen in the same positive light as before. The path to forgiveness is in essence, a path, which can diverge based on future decisions. Travelling this path may not be easy, but if effort is made, may redeem a person.

All I see in the HatWRKs issue is someone who has tried to profit from a negative, hate-filled stereotype, and has not learned from their mistake, and therefore has faced consequences. I'm just glad to see that there are others out there who will not tolerate this type of behavior. Humanity has never been perfect, but we still move toward tomorrow as a kinder, wiser population.

 

[johnnycanuck]

I have never bought one of their hats. Until today I have never looked them up on social media. But if you do, you will see two days ago they issued an apology. Yesterday they informed us they did not and will not sell any offending merchandise.
This is what I would consider an ugly subject. They posted an apology and were sorry to offend. As I teach my kids, sometimes it’s hard to accept an apology when you are wronged but accept it and move on.
Johnny.

 

[mark balen]

Just a quick note to say I appreciate this discussion. Sharing perspectives on a very sensitive subject and showing respect for one another is to be valued. My hat is off to you each of you.

 

[Bugguy]

Sad, very sad. I've been in HatWRKS a few times - they had a large inventory. I bought a really nice Panama from them. If they choose to alienate a large segment of their customer base, so be it. But it should be left to you and I to take our business elsewhere if we choose. I don't need corporate Stetson et.al. to take the decision out of my hands. HatWRKS is a Nashville small business and has struggled like most others. If they suffer for poor judgement, OK. But an indictment in the national press so Stetson can appear enlightened is hollow and purely self-serving.

 

[StrawBunyan]

I don't care about politics or social warriorism. I just want to buy hats. This is the only hat shop within 1500 miles of me and now I'm screwed.

 

[Bamaboots]

I just went to the HatWRKS site and they seem to have a full range of Stetson’s so, did the issues get resolved or is Stetson just declining to offer future stock?