THORNTON, CO – A controversial t-shirt that likens the war in Iraq to a rock show has both supporters and opponents of the war outraged.
The “Shock and Awe Tour” shirt, for sale at www.shockandawetour.com, portrays four branches of the U.S. Armed Forces as rock bands touring the Middle East. Great Britain, the Bush administration, and U.S. weapons and aircraft manufacturers are billed as sponsors.
Rob Sanchez, the 22-year old designer behind the shirt, received mixed reactions to his contentious creation after the shirt went on sale Friday. “Some people are pretty upset,” said Sanchez. “They think it’s irreverent and tasteless. Other people just think it’s funny.”
Funny or not, the shirt has attracted considerable attention. Several schools have already banned the shirt, claiming that it has the potential to disrupt the learning environment.
Demonstrators at various war-related rallies and protests around the nation appeared on television wearing the shirt earlier this week.
Sanchez said that his design wasn’t intended to make a statement about the war itself, but rather to raise questions about the extensive media broadcasting of the overseas turmoil. “To me, the shirt says that we’ve turned war into a spectator sport. I think that’s appalling, but I’m still glued to the news every night,” Sanchez said.
A portion of the proceeds from the shirt sales will be donated to charity in memory of Marine Lance Cpl. Thomas Slocum, one of 10 Marines who died March 23 in combat near Nasiriya, Iraq. Slocum lived in Thornton, Colorado where Sanchez also resides.
