Former officer blasts Amazon for selling 'Blue Lives Murder' merchandise
Former Las Vegas Police Lt. Randy Sutton explains the
Former Las Vegas Police Lt. Randy Sutton argued on "Fox & Friends" on Tuesday that Amazon is sending a message to law enforcement officers that they don't care about them and only care about "an agenda on the left" by allowing the sale of "Blue Lives Murder" merchandise on its platform.
Sutton, the founder and CEO of The Wounded Blue, an organization that provides support to officers injured or disabled in the line of duty, also explained the "real-world consequences" of Amazon selling the "Blue Lives Murder" apparel.
Sutton argued that the left has chosen what he called the "DDD strategy," which he explained is defunding, demoralizing and dehumanizing the police and that by selling the merchandise, Amazon is feeding into that.
In a recent letter, the Detectives’ Endowment Association demanded Amazon stop selling the "disgusting" items, the New York Post reported, noting that the merchandise is now appearing on Amazon nearly one year after similar anti-police items first appeared on the website.
"It has come to my attention that your website is selling tee-shirts (sic) and other items emblazoned with the words ‘Blue Lives Murder,'" the letter sent by the Detectives’ Endowment Association to the company’s Chief Financial Officer Brian Olsavsky reportedly said.
"It’s disheartening that your company would allow this disgusting motto on your sales platform."
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The letter reportedly demands that Amazon "immediately" take down items with the slogan because its "only purpose is to invite further division, hatred and violence toward the hard-working men and women of the nation’s Police Departments, who are toiling every day to keep their communities safe."
"To continue to hawk products emblazoned with this vile phrase puts the lives of Police Officers, and all law enforcement nationwide, at peril and risk," The Post reported the letter also said.
Speaking on "Fox & Friends" on Tuesday Sutton echoed that sentiment, saying that he sees "firsthand what this is doing to our officers across the country."
"There are real-world consequences to an abhorrent action like this," Sutton told host Lawrence Jones, noting that "law enforcement officers across this country are being injured and disabled every single day."
"My organization deals with injured and disabled officers all over the country and those injuries are often psychological and emotional," he added.
He then noted that Amazon is "dehumanizing and demoralizing" law enforcement by selling the merchandise, arguing that "they are saying to law enforcement officers all over this country, ‘We don't care about you. We only care about an agenda on the left’ and I'm seeing this firsthand what this is doing to our officers across the country."
In a statement, an Amazon spokesperson said on Monday, "As a retailer, we provide our customers with access to a variety of viewpoints across books, videos, and products."
"We strive to provide our customers with the widest possible selection, and we do not endorse the content of any particular book, video, or product."
"We understand that some customers may find some products objectionable, and we provide customers with a variety of ways to engage and express their views, including through product reviews," the spokesperson continued.
As of Tuesday, apparel including a blue t-shirt for around $40 and face masks for $12.99 featuring the slogan "Blue Lives Murder" were available for sale on Amazon.
Sutton argued on Tuesday that Amazon is not removing the items from its website "because it doesn't go along with their agenda."
He then laid out what he finds "so disturbing."
"I know Amazon is a huge company and I understand that a company does not have a soul. I get that, but companies are made of people," Sutton said.
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He then argued that by continuing to sell the merchandise, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos appears to be demonstrating that either the company is focused on making a profit or "is tone-deaf to what’s happening across America and the plight of American law enforcement officers who literally are being demonized and dehumanized by the left."
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