As the left continues to demonize conservative groups, their allies in the business world follow suit. Etsy, an e-commerce website focused on handmade or vintage items, has removed a range of items related to the Proud Boys.
Falsely labeled as a white supremacist group, the Proud Boys are a group of “Western chauvinists” whose website states: “If you are a man and you know that the west is the best, then you can join The Proud Boys. Some chapters have minimum age requirements and some vetting you’ll have to go through but if you’re a western chauvinist, we’ll get you in.”
“I will go out and say that the #ProudBoys as a whole, I will say this on behalf of the entire national organization, denounce white supremacy." – Thad, Chief of the Proud Boys Salt Lake Utah Chapter pic.twitter.com/WGlUEx3jeF
— 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐞𝐞 (@brian_schnee) October 1, 2020
Chauvinists usually support a form of strong patriotism and nationalism, believing in the superiority of their nation. That lines up well with the beliefs of the Proud Boys, which are listed on their website:
- Minimal Government
- Maximum Freedom
- Anti-Political Correctness
- Anti-Drug War
- Closed Borders
- Anti-Racial Guilt
- Anti-Racism
- Pro-Free Speech (1st Amendment)
- Pro-Gun Rights (2nd Amendment)
- Glorifying the Entrepreneur
- Venerating the Housewife
- Reinstating a Spirit of Western Chauvinism
Etsy, in removing the Proud Boys merchandise from its website, told the left-wing outlet The Verge that selling the items violates the company’s policies prohibiting “among other things, hate against protected identities [and] attempting to incite violence against individuals or groups.”
At the first Presidential Debate, President Trump was asked to denounce the Proud Boys by Democratic nominee Joe Biden, who called the group a white supremacist organization. President Trump chose not to denounce the group, which he stated later that he didn’t know much about, and instead chose to tell them to “stand back and stand by” — a statement which was seen as an endorsement by some members, and plastered onto t-shirts, hoodies, caps, and other items. After the event, the group’s merchandise gained new attention online.
As reported last week by Vice, retailers including Amazon, Teespring, and Ebay immediately acted to remove products with the “stand back and stand by” slogan.
A spokesperson for Etsy spoke about the decision to The Verge, saying in a statement: “Sellers on Etsy agree to follow our policies, which prohibit, among other things, hate against protected identities, attempting to incite violence against individuals or groups. We actively monitor the site and review and remove merchandise that violates our policies.” The spokesperson also said that Proud Boys merchandise had been banned on the site for a long time, but prohibited items do slip through the company’s filters occasionally before being removed.
As per usual, the left is trying to distract from actual violence and hatred on their side (ANTIFA and BLM), by demonizing a right-wing group. They have chosen to ignore the fact that the Proud Boys is led by Enrique Tarrio, an African-Hispanic American, and that the group has members of all races and sexual orientations.
A black man in Proud Boys? Well how the hell is that possible? Chris Wallace told me they were a white supremacy group! pic.twitter.com/Y9SoNtcI22
— 6% 𝐖Δ𝐑ᵗ𝐈๓𝕖gเᖇˡ (@WarTimeGirl) September 30, 2020
