Gap Tee Pulled From Stores

By Kim Anne Oct 17, 2012 10:51PM

Gap has pulled one of its T-shirts from store shelves after a wave of controversy began over the words on the tee.

The tee, a collaboration with GQ Magazine, has been receiving negative attention since its debut when customers began commenting about it via Twitter, Facebook and email, says Blackbookmag.com.

What’s so controversial about the shirt? It says the words “manifest destiny” on it, a phrase commonly associated with the genocide of indigenous American people as a result of U.S. westward expansion during the 19th century.

After all the customer comments, Gap finally released a statement of its own, saying “Thank you for your feedback regarding the ‘Manifest Destiny” t-shirt. Based on customer feedback, we will no longer offer the t-shirt in our stores or online.

Tell us on Facebook: Do you think the tee is inappropriate, or is the uproar unjustified?

Photo: Courtesy Gap

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687Comments

Newest

Oct 18, 2012 2:26AM

From sea to shinning sea, manifest destiny, it is our destiny to destroy all people between here and there, coral them into reservations, enslave them, destroy everything on the way, tear down forests, destroy ecosystems, mine the earth, pollute the rivers, begin wars against neighbors for new states, cause extinctions of flora/fauna/language/people.

Manifest Destiny, is that the destiny we were referring to? Just some words on a t-shirt which mean nothing? Got it. Discoverers of the west? Weren't people already there? So it is destiny that people should be wiped off the earth? Sweet, sounds good to me. MANIFEST THIS!!!

Manifest Destiny is not quite yet unfinished, is it? Something to think about.

Previous replies

Azazel Ademon

Oct 18, 2012 2:26AM

Just so everyone is clear: The outcome for the West was not a choice between an idyllic woodland life style (which never was...read Empire of the Summer Moon) and whites overrunning the west.

The choice was between who was going to conquer the western aboriginal peoples - the US, Russia, or Mexico.

Perhaps they would have been better off under the Mexican or Russian government...but history and current events do not support that conclusion.

Previous replies

MAD In USA

Oct 18, 2012 2:25AM

How about a shirt that says Lick My Balls

Previous replies

Don Khan

Oct 18, 2012 2:24AM

It is absolutely offensive. What it says is that the white man in entitled to claim what ever he wants, whenever he wants. Those who are impacted adversely are collateral damage. Read your history Ms,, perhaps then you will get a better and more honest perspective, and not be such a low information reflector. If you are a white women,
I can assure you that you fall below white men on the rung of Natural Law, with the rest of the colored falling below you. That is what Manifest Destiny stands for.

Previous replies

Zinn fan

Oct 18, 2012 2:23AM

Manifest Destiny is the concept that the white European settlers of this continent were on a righteous mission to take control of any territory by whatever means they wished. They alone, the thinking went, were meant by god himself to occupy and exploit the lands for the enrichment of their people. In the name of their god they subjugated, enslaved, raped, plundered and committed mass ethnic cleansing. This genocide was imposed on countless natives of this continent resulting not only in their deaths but the destruction of the culture,philosophy and traditions developed over the centuries before the white man's arrival. Manifest Destiny is a self granted licsence to commit atrocities in the name of god. Gap was right to pull the shirt.