A sign posted outside a contractor supply store that advertised an "Ex-wife sale" and listed "duct tape, chainsaw and shovels" as the items included in the sale was taken down after drawing controversy. Curtis Renner, a manager at Joe Rents & Contractors Supply located in Fargo, North Dakota said he meant for the sign to be a joke, but realized that it wasn't after receiving "a lot of phone calls," reports the Fargo Forum. One of those phone calls was from Christopher Johnson, executive director of the Rape and Abuse Crisis Center, who called the store to express his concern about the sign. "It's not a joke," said Johnson. "It's a pretty strong statement." Renner claimed that he "really didn't think it was offensive," but promptly removed the sign after receiving criticism. He also removed a picture of the sign from the company's Facebook page.
"When people try to find humor in domestic violence, I think it's our way as a society to try to overlook the violence and the pain and the injustice," said Johnson.