WebProNews

Tag: Kent State

  • Urban Outfitters Apologizes for Selling Bloody Kent State Sweatshirt

    Urban Outfitters has done it again. The often overpriced clothing company has offended the masses again by selling what appeared to be a blood-spattered Kent State University sweatshirt.

    Most people who have been through high school are aware of the Kent State massacre. The incident occurred in 1970 in Kent, Ohio. Students all across the country were protesting the expansion of the Vietnam War, and the National Guard was at the Kent State campus. At one point during the protest, some guardsmen opened fire on protesters, killing four students and injuring nine others.

    Urban Outfitters, a company known for offering offensive apparel at times, put what was described as a “vintage Kent State sweatshirt” for sale on its website for $129. According to the item description, Urban Outfitters only had one for sale and encouraged shoppers to “get it or regret it.”

    Check out a picture of the offensive Kent State sweatshirt below.

    As you can see from the photo, the sweatshirt appears to have blood spatters in the chest region, as well as other parts of the shirt. The blood-spattered shirt brought memories of the Kent State massacre to mind, and Urban Outfitters immediately came under fire after news of the shirt started going around.

    The listing for the blood-spattered Kent State shirt has since been removed from the Urban Outfitters website. The company has issued an apology for the shirt and says that it was all a big misunderstanding. According to the apology, the shirt was part of Urban Outfitters’ sun-faded collection, and the red stains were never intentionally placed on the shirt.

    Check out the apology below.

    Urban Outfitters sincerely apologizes for any offense our Vintage Kent State Sweatshirt may have caused. It was never our intention to allude to the tragic events that took place at Kent State in 1970 and we are extremely saddened that this item was perceived as such. The one-of-a-kind item was purchased as part of our sun-faded vintage collection. There is no blood on this shirt nor has this item been altered in any way. The red stains are discoloration from the original shade of the shirt and the holes are from natural wear and fray. Again, we deeply regret that this item was perceived negatively and we have removed it immediately from our website to avoid further upset.

    This isn’t the first time Urban Outfitters has sold offensive clothing. The company once sold a shirt with Holocaust connotations and also sold Navajo hip flasks. Considering that this is at least the third time Urban Outfitters has crossed the line, many people aren’t too sure about the company’s apology.

  • Kent State Shooting Suspect in Custody

    Kent State Shooting Suspect in Custody

    The Kent State freshman who shot himself in the hand during a domestic dispute, prompting a campus lockdown on Wednesday, remained jailed Thursday on a concealed weapons charge, according to campus police.

    The 24-year-old suspect, Quavaugntay L. Tyler of Cleveland, fired a 9 mm handgun once Wednesday night during a dispute with two female students, Police Chief John Peach said. The bullet struck his left hand. No one else was injured.

    Tyler was taken into police custody at Robinson Memorial Hospital in Ravenna, where he sought medical treatment for his wounded hand.

    The suspect told police that he had a gun because he had previously been the victim of an armed robbery.

    According to Peach, the reason Tyler fired the shot was not immediately clear. Tyler fled to a residence hall after he fired the shot, and asked a friend to help him hide the weapon before he went to the hospital. The friend was found but not charged, according to the police chief.

    Tyler has been the subject of a campus investigation. The suspect was on probation from a separate theft case in a different jurisdiction, Peach said. He is being cooperative with investigators.

    Tyler, a student in criminology and justice studies, was charged with carrying a concealed weapon, but more charges may be added after a prosecutor reviews the case, police said.

    The Kent State campus was on lockdown for about two hours on Wednesday night while police searched for the suspect. The university posted notice on its Twitter page Wednesday that the suspect had been apprehended and that there was no longer a threat.

     
    The incident comes just one month before the 44th anniversary of the Kent State Massacre, when the Ohio National Guard opened fire on students protesting the war in Vietnam on May 4, 1970.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Kent State Wrestler Suspended for Anti-Gay Tweets, So Of Course Free Speech Is Once Again Under Assault

    Here’s your daily reminder that freedom of speech doesn’t mean freedom from consequences.

    Kent State wrestler Sam Wheeler has been suspended indefinitely for making several anti-gay statements on Twitter. Like clockwork, this is bringing out the armchair constitutional lawyers who claim that this is an all-out assault on free speech. Duck Dynasty. #FreePhil.

    “I though we had free speech would they supend a gay person if they made anti christian or post about straght people,” says one commenter on FOX Sports Ohio’s Facebook page.

    “What ever happened to freedom of speech! Isn’t this American! Why are we being forced to accept things we may not agree with! Who cares what you do behind closed doors, keep your sex life to yourself!” says another commenter.

    Ok, let’s take a look at what Sam Wheeler actually said. Referencing Missouri’s Michael Sam, who just announced that he is gay ahead of the NFL draft, Wheeler lamented that he can’t even watch SportsCenter without hearing about “that fag from mizzou.” He later tweeted at two other users, calling them “queers.”

    “O geez I got all these fag boys mad at me now,” he said.

    All of the tweets (as well as his entire account) has since been deleted. But this is the internet, so here they are (courtesy outragedc.com):

    Free speech!

    Wheeler has been suspended indefinitely for his tweets.

    “We are aware of the insensitive tweets by one of our student athletes. On behalf of Kent State University, we consider these comments to be ignorant and not indicative of the beliefs held by our university community as a whole. This is an educational opportunity for all of our student-athletes,” said Kent State Athletic Director Joel Nielsen.

    “As an alum of Kent State University and as Sam’s head coach, I was surprised and offended by what I read on Twitter. I have spoken to Sam personally, and while he is remorseful, he will be suspended indefinitely while we determine the best course of action moving forward,” said his coach, Jim Andrassy.

    Freedom of speech does not mean freedom from consequences. Freedom of speech does not mean freedom from consequences. Freedom of speech does not mean freedom from consequences. Maybe it’s like Beetlejuice – we all say it three times and it just pops into every brain on the internet.

    Let’s remember what we’re all screaming about, shall we?

    Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

    So–until Congress decides to act on Sam Wheeler’s shitty, hateful sentiments, or we find Sam Wheeler rotting away in jail for calling someone a queer on Twitter, let’s lighten up on all the free speech talk, ok?

    This is America. He’ll be ok. I’m sure he’ll have a reality show on A&E before year’s end.

    Image via Kent State Athletics, Facebook

  • LSU Fraternity Apologizes, But May Still Be in Hot Water

    As if LSU’s 45-13 victory over Kent State, wasn’t enough Saturday, some Tiger fans just had to take it to another level. However, in this case, it may have been better just to leave well enough alone. The Zeta Zeta Chapter of Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity has been under fire and scrutiny since an offensive banner was hung in front of the fraternity’s house. Then, to add insult to injury, an image of the mocking banner surfaced on Twitter.

    The banner read, “Getting Massacred is Nothing New to Kent St.,” which compared Kent State’s loss on the field to the campus shooting of 1970. The historic event happened when shots rang out from Ohio National Guard, while 2000 student protesters were caught in the crossfire. Four students were fatally shot, while nine more were wounded. The offensive banner caused such a stir over the pass few days that it has attracted national attention. On Sunday, statements of response were exchanged between officials of both universities. LSU officials issued a statement of response, while Delta Kappa Epsilon offered a formal statement of apology.

    Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity’s formal apology stated:

    “We, the men of Zeta Zeta, formally apologize to your entire community for the banner that was hung from our house this past weekend. The sign was inappropriate and should never have been hung in the first place. We hope that the Kent State community can forgive our action and accept our sincere apologies. We apologize not only to the community of Kent State, but also to those who were personally affected by this tragedy in American history. Hanging the banner was a poor attempt at humor. We, as young college students, did not grasp the full scoop of the tragedy and it’s long lasting effects. This is not how we would like to represent our fraternity as well as our school, and we certainly hope we did not put a negative spin on your school’s visit to Louisiana State University.”

    The fraternity also hung a banner of apology to Kent State.

    In most cases, such actions of formality would defuse this type of situation. However, this case is a little different. The Advocate reports that Delta Kappa Epsilon has a reputation for controversial banners that include derogatory references. Business Insider goes on to provide even more visual examples of the fraternity’s infamous behavior and ill-suited comments toward other universities LSU has played during football season.

    (image)

    (image)  (image)

     (image)  (image)

    Since statements of apology haven’t quite stopped the fraternity in the past, the university is still trying to decide what further actions can be taken to prevent any recurrences. The fraternity came off of a two-year suspension in 2006, now it looks as they they may be headed back down the same road.

    Image via WAFB’s Jacques Doucet on Twitter

  • LSU Fraternity Apologizes for Inappropriate Sign

    For some reason, a fraternity at LSU thought it was appropriate to prepare for their upcoming game against Kent State University by making a sign that mocked the shooting that took place there in 1970. After an image of the offending banner reached Kent State and LSU officials, the frat brothers decided to apologize.

    (image)

    The Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity hung the offending sign that read, “Getting massacred is nothing new to Kent State” over their frat house before the game this past Saturday, which the LSU Tigers won 45-13. Many college football fans have criticized LSU for a weak out-of-conference schedule, and taunting a team that should be a guaranteed win is classless enough without mocking an event that took the lives of four students.

    Before anyone thinks the sign was simply an error in judgment that can be attributed to a bunch of drunk frat boys, the same fraternity made headlines earlier in the month for hanging a sign joking about Syria: “LSU vs. UAB It’s gonna be a gas. Syriasly.” If hundreds of people killed in an alleged chemical attack is fodder for humor, that kind of explains why the LSU fraternity finds it acceptable to joke about the Kent State Massacre.

    The LSU fraternity’s apology sign read, “We would like to apologize to Kent State for our inappropriate sign.” The apology banner may not be enough for the DKE frat, though; the students involved in the banner could face disciplinary action. According to WTVM, a spokesperson for LSU said that the school’s “Dean of Students Office and Student Life are aware and are looking into the matter.”

    The frat boys of Delta Kappa Epsilon are being blasted all over Twitter and other media sources for the inappropriate sign. What do you think of the LSU fraternity’s sign–are people overreacting? Add your comments below.

    Main image via UPI Video; article image via KSLA