As national stores refuse to sell Confederate flags, local retailers feel the pressure

As major retailers announced they will no longer sell confederate flags, buyers were already calling independent flag retailers for shipments.

Kerry King co-owns All The King’s Flags in Phoenix at 24th Street and Osborn. Wednesday afternoon, his store was quickly dwindling in Confederate-themed stock.

“Do we have lapel pins, too?” He called out to his assistant. Yes, but those items are selling quickly, too, she told him.

In a normal year, King estimates his store sells about a half-dozen Confederate flags, “Typically to teachers, historians, and re-enactment soldiers,” he said. But, on occasion he suspected, “some [customers] were racists.”

He never refused to sell the flag to a customer because, “I’m neutral, I’m like the Swiss.”

Outside King’s store, customer Tom Farnsworth did not come to buy a Confederate flag. “It’s a typical Arizona coyote howling at the moon flag,” he said.

Asked if the Confederate flag reminded him of racism, “I’ve always associated the Confederate flag more with the Civil Wars and less about racism,” he admitted, “but, the Civil War ended 150 years ago, so it’s time to move on.”

That being said, Farnsworth does not think the government should ban stores like All The King’s Flags from selling it.

“I think that’s just as ridiculous to ban the Nazi flag, as repulsive as that flag is.”

It’s a matter of free speech, both men agreed.

“I just can’t stand government dictating every nook and cranny of our lives,” lamented Farnsworth.

“Yeah,” agreed King. “These flags are for my customers to freely express themselves…it’s freedom of expression.”

But, when it comes to selling Nazi flags, King said you won’t find them at his store because, “It’s been co-opted into a current flag of a certain group of people,” referring to its adoption by white supremacist groups.

Before nine black parishioners, including their pastor, were gunned down by a self-professed white supremacist at a South Carolina church, King’s store had five full size Confederate battle flags. All of those have been bought over the last eight days.

King pulled another box off of the shelf. It’s the First Confederate flag with seven stars in a circle in the upper left corner and three red, white, red stripes on the body instead.

“That’s the last we have,” he said folding it carefully and placing it back in a shipping box. Meanwhile, another customer called asking when the shop will get another shipment of the classic Confederate battle flag.

“We won’t,” said King, as a matter of fact.

He has decided not to sell the Confederate battle flag and his suppliers will not be making them.

“Free speech has a cost,” said King, “and sometimes that cost is just too high.”