Wait, what? I though for sure that was an April fool's joke or something, but it looks real. I can see that being like a government protest shit, perhaps for the Ferguson set or something, but UO doesn't do anything below skin deep, as far as I've ever seen. There's no point in trying to parse the subtlety that might be there, because it isn't. Are we to the point of revering irreverence so much that it's now cool to think that government murders are something to be made fun of? My only hope is that whoever designed this shirt was doing it just to see if UO is oblivious enough to sell it. I'd be all for that.
You're right, UO has no interest in making a point about anything. They make a point about being pointless. That particular brand/merchant/designer/whatever must've just moved this through on their own motives without anyone batting an eye, and UO took the blame. 10/10 would exploit for laughs again.
They anger me. There are a few prominent retailers that I loathe, and they are close to the top of the heap. Last time I was in UO I saw a stock girl with bandages covering her wrists, and, even though it's really mean, I started laughing. My then gf was horrified, and scolded me for laughing at the poor girl. The reason I thought it was so funny is that the cynical part of me thought it was just part of her outfit. This makes me more convinced of that belief. Their nothing-is-sacred-except-what-you-look-like-beauty-is-skin-deep ethos is bothersome to me. But maybe I'm an old man, and it's youth that I don't like, and UO is just a reflection of the style of the time. I'm sure my ripped jeans and cardigans were just as silly to adults back in '93. At least I bought them from the thrift store and not the mall :)