Old Navy's Border Patrol socks

Just thought I'd advise y'all about these...I never shopped at Old Navy before, but I'll be sure to never start.



http://www.racialicious.com/2008/09/15/a-racist-sock/

They look pretty innocent, but the intent behind them is just gross.

They're trying to cash in on the anti-immigrant sentiment... I never liked their clothes; now I really won't shop there...

Is it just me or does it only looks like a harmless sock?

Yes, the marketing might be "racist", but who cares about the marketing...I can see a guy buying this just for the way it looks without even reading the description. I never read the description on the stuff I buy.

Come on. This is just pointless.

It's just a pair of socks, with a helicopter on them. Just because they call it border patrol doesn't mean it's racist or anything like that.
Who cares about old navy anyways? all of their shirts are plain and say old navy in big letters on the front, 99% of them. So for them having a helicopter on a pair of socks is a big accomplishment.

that's one ugly socks...

by the way... they should patrol the border. Yeah yeah I get that sick feeling in my stomach every time I see that commercial about "protection the country" crap comes on tv. But come on... if dream passes would you not support the border patrol? The border has to be secured and illegal immigration is wrong.

Eh, I don't really think it's racist like the poster at Racialicious said. Just gross and not really something I would want my 6 mo. old wearing, if I had one.

Yes, I do think the border patrol should patrol the border, but I'm against the current incarnation of it and what it's main use is. Keeping drug mules and criminals out? By all means. But most of the time right now they're just keeping out workers and families.

right my point is that they SHOULD keep the workers and families out too... I still think what my parents did to come here illegally was wrong, even though they had to do it.

I don't see the racial undertones. Some people are just too sensitive nowadays.

I wouldn't buy them because they're ugly. My BF has a BP shirt and he wears it just for shits and giggles. And he's a member of the Green Party. If that's not comedy I don't know what is.

The point is that they're BORDER PATROL socks. The marketing reads: “fun socks feature military inspired embroidery sure to have your little man transforming everything he can get his hands on into an aerial assault vehicle capable of unstoppable fire power only to be used in the defense of the defenseless." Even if this wasn't designed with bad intentions (probably not), the ad is referencing the use of firepower to protect our borders in a positive light, as a way to defend justice and freedom and all that good shit. And against whom would we use this our justice-protecting firepower? Hmmm. Most of us don't even fucking blink when we read this ad, and for a reason. Of course people don't ever think about how BLINDLY accepting our society is of these ideas. We internalize racism without even realizing it. "Illegal" and "Mexican" have become racial slurs.

So no, objecting to the way the socks were advertised is not being too sensitive, and yes it is racist. But it's not your fault if you didn't catch it.



I'm not for open borders btw, and I think they should be secured, but the point is that people immediately think "mexican families" and not "terrorists" or "drug trafickers" when they think about aliens crossing the border. And if even after thinking about it you don't see the connection between border patrol and immigration, you need to just get your head out of your ass.

I will not buy any item from Old Navy.