The BBC link is titled “model behaviour”.

Valiant Enterprises were told their model soldier of an IRA volunteer from 1921 had been removed from the eBay site because the figure “violated its hateful or discriminatory policy”.

The eBay policy states: “Sellers may not list items that promote or glorify hatred, violence, racial or religious intolerance, or items that promote organisations with such views.”

The article makes the obvious comparison to other icons who fought the British empire, such as the American “revolutionaries”. And then it transitions to discussing the issue with modern Irish leaders.

Sinn Fein’s Alex Maskey said the decision to ban the item was unjustified.

He said: “To ban important historical facts like the Irish War of Independence is just bizarre. Especially when that time is history has been recognised and commemorated by the Irish government”.

Perhaps it would help if the figurine wasn’t holding a gun and ammo belts, but instead carrying a flag or in a striking pose that indicated national pride. It would be one thing if eBay tried to ban symbols of the IRA, such as the flags or name, but something about the militant garb makes it a more troubling and questionable icon. Likewise, I have no real issue with the Union Jack as it represents so much more than the militancy of the UK, but I don’t think I’d feel great about sales of a figurine of the British army with a Rapparee’s head dangling from his pike…then again, I bet there is no ban on British army figurines at all.