Casually surfing and shopping through Walmart store proved dangerous for a California priest. A colourful pillow ordered from Walmart.com with a bicycle and Eiffel Tower picture had a Nazi element of a Swastika sign and Adolf Hitler's face. Ryan Newman, a priest from Saint James Episcopal Church in Fresno was looking online for some home decor items. He found the Paris-themed cushion covers to be a good item and quickly added it to his cart. On arrival too, he did not think anything wrong with them, until he a few days ago when he noticed the hate symbol. Although Walmart has removed the item stating it to be a 'third-party' seller product, the shock of Nazi items being sold online remains. Gucci 'Blackface' Balaclava Sweater Withdrawn After Internet Backlash, Company Issues Apology.
Newman would have even imagined having Nazi symbols to adorn his house. Talking about it he said, "I was shocked and than shocked moved into anger. I was like how can this happen, how can this be, how could this get through the Walmart buying channels." He discovered the symbols on his pillow by accident while playing with his 5-month-old daughter. The website described it as "retro Paris bicycle throw pillow," with pictures of a bicycle in front of Eiffel Tower. The finishing, however, had a sinister symbol, far away from the sign of love. Being a priest, Newman felt all the more violated when he saw the Nazi swastika. "To me, the swastika is a symbol of hate. It is a symbol of evil," he said. Naming Child 'Adolf' Lands British Couple to Combined 10-Year Jail Term for Belonging to Neo-Nazi Group.
Check Video of Nazi Pillow Found by Priest on Walmart
Clearly enraged at the sinister discovery he asked Walmart for an explanation. The statement read, "This pillow was listed by a third-party seller on our online marketplace and is in violation of our policy. We regularly scan our marketplace for these types of items, but, unfortunately, the offensive image wasn't visible on the pillow's photo and we were not aware of it until the customer reached out. We removed the item immediately and are reviewing the seller's assortment." The company has removed the product from their website.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 08, 2019 07:05 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).