NEW YORK (Reuters) - Sears, Roebuck & Co., the fourth largest U.S. retailer, has stopped selling a line of T-shirts after an outcry from mental health advocates who said the slogans on them make fun of the mentally ill.

The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) praised Sears for withdrawing the T-shirts that bore the inscription: "You should hear the NAMES the VOICES in my head are calling you."

The organization also called on Wal-Mart Stores, Kmart Inc., Kohl's Corp., and Target Corp. to stop selling the T-shirts and similar merchandise "mocking mental illness" or risk facing potential legal liability under federal or state anti-discrimination laws.

"The T-shirt perpetuates prejudice and discrimination against people with mental illnesses through the intimation of threats flowing from auditory hallucinations," said Ron Honberg, NAMI national legal director. "They reinforce an unfair perception of violence." [...]