Posted on 11/01/2006 4:19:04 AM PST by Man50D
Sam Walton's original stores wouldn't even sell recorded music if it contained profanity and Janet Baird was happy working hard to make the company money, setting up and managing wedding fairs and other promotions, and won awards for her efforts.
She and her husband even married at one of the store's events.
But no more. The Ohio woman, after hearing the shocking confirmation directly from the mega-corporation's international headquarters that the company is, in fact, contributing to the financial and moral agenda of the nation's "gay" chamber of commerce, she quit. And she's not a bit worried.
"I got God backing me. That's where I stand on it," she told WND in an interview.
Baird had worked for the corporation, in various branches including Sam's Club and Wal-Mart, since 1992. It was a recent tip she received from her brother that was the beginning of the end, because he told her "my company had joined the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce."
It was during an interview with WND in August that Wal-Mart spokesman Bob McAdam said, "It is correct that we have a dialogue with the (gay chamber). This is just what businesses do."
"Sam Walton was such a moral man, he wouldn't even allow music to be sold in his stores if it had bad language," Baird said. "When it comes to moral values, first of all they started selling smutty magazines, then they brought in nasty music and videos, even ones others refused to sell, like 'Brokeback Mountain.'"
Now this comes along. "I sent an e-mail (to the company) asking, 'What have you done to Sam Walton's store?" Baird said.
McAdam had told WND the move was just another business outreach, much as the company's affiliations with other chambers of commerce, such as the Hispanic organization.
But to Baird, it wasn't the same. She called the corporate office for its response. "The lady said, 'Yes.' When I asked if the money I spent shopping at Wal-Mart would go to support same-sex marriage, she simply responded, 'Sales are sales.'"
"I let her know how long I had worked at Wal-Mart and told her that I would no longer work for this company and never spend another dime there. She replied, 'I hope you don't mean that.' I did mean it. The next day I went to the store and quit. The manager that signed my exit papers had no idea about what had been going on in the leadership of Wal-Mart."
Now she's staging protests in front of that store, and others nearby, to let people know of the company's affiliations and commitments.
She said a large part of her years-long commitment to the company was because of the original core values the company exemplified.
"I began working with Sam's Club in 1992. Mr. Sam Walton, the founder of Wal-Mart Stores, had recently passed away. The more I learned about this man the more I wanted to do what I could to make this an ever better place to work.
"I worked in marketing and put together the first wedding expo. This was a fund-raiser that allowed vendors to set up for a weekend and all the proceeds went to the Children's Miracle Network. It was a huge success," she said.
"This became a yearly event. I was so proud to work for this company. I was privileged to be the event coordinator for a number of Wal-Mart sponsored events and raised a lot of money in the community," she said.
One beneficiary was a young man named Luke Clemons. He was 18 and needed a liver transplant. "We managed to raise enough money for (the) transplant and start a Luke Clemons Foundation," Baird said. He survived four more years.
For that work, she was given a Member Service Award.
"This was not a job to me, it was a ministry given to me by God Himself to help His people in need and get paid for it at the same time," Baird said.
But things changed. "Today Wal-Mart is not the same company Mr. Sam started. I think he would rather see it go under than to see what it has become. Mr. Sam loved God the store he began does not!" she said.
Her boycott is getting its start in front of the store where she used to work, on the Lexington Springmill Road in Ontario, and then at the nearby store in Mansfield, Ohio, and then will continue to other stores.
"As Christians we have to take a stand and get the word out because most people are not aware of what is happening," she said.
Her big boycott launch will be the Friday after Thanksgiving, November 24, she said, because that traditionally is the biggest single shopping day of the year.
"We will be joining all of you on the day after Thanksgiving to bring the Gospel of Christ to the very gates of hell," she said.
She's replaced only part of the income she gave up by leaving Wal-Mart, by accepting a position in a physician's office.
When Wal-Mart initially confirmed the agreement to support the "gay" chamber, Tony Perkins, of the Family Research Council in Washington, D.C., immediately launched a citizens protest of the move.
It also was at that point that an advertising industry site, AdAge, confirmed Wal-Mart not only had joined the NGLCC but also has hired a "gay-marketing" shop and started discussions about extending domestic-partner benefits to employees.
In the AdAge report, Justin Nelson of the NGLCC described the company as "pragmatic."
"They have been viewed with some degree of skepticism by the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered community, and it's important for them in terms of gaining market share to change that," he told AdAge.
Perkins told supporters that the "heat" from the "radical left" apparently influenced the company's corporate decisions, and he wants constituents to let Wal-Mart know of their displeasure.
"While the NGLCC professes to promote the 'interests of the LGBT business community,' this is not all they have done," Perkins said. "Recently, they described efforts to defend traditional marriage as an attempt to 'write discrimination into the Constitution ' The NGLCC also advocated attaching a pro-homosexual 'hate crimes' amendment to legislation intended to protect children from violent sex offenders."
"It is unfortunate," Perkins said, "that Wal-Mart has joined forces with an organization whose mission opposes many of the values shared by rural and small-town America. It is precisely the interests of average Americans that Wal-Mart has prided itself in promoting.
"Now, by surrendering to the radical homosexual lobby, Wal-Mart has entered the political arena with no economic benefit to their company or their customers," he said.
Good questions. Don't gays use the same products the rest of us use?
Gays often say that what goes on in the privacy of their own homes/bedrooms is nobody's business. Well, fine. KEEP IT THAT WAY! Stop shoving it in my face, flaunting it everywhere you go in public, and trying to force acceptance of it by passing laws legitimizing it.
Here's a hint: Keep it private and people won't get so in your face when you get in theirs.
Well...since the WalMart closest to me is 40 miles away...
I guess I won't shop there. ;o)
bump that
I had a man in mind who was meeting with the NLGCC and reporting back to the head office, although she is obviously involved in "diversity" at Wal-Mart.
By your logic, no company can ever be held accountable for any donation it gives, no matter how objectionable it might be. You would just pull out your "moral balance scale" and do a weight comparison, and as long as the "good" outweighs the "evil" everybody is to keep their yaps shut and their wallets open.
As opposed to evangelicals? Church-going Catholics?
They realize that gays are ordinary people
Who have a lower life-expetency than three-pack-a-cigarette smokers who skydive. It's not a lifestyle you'd want someone you care about to get involved with.
you'd best not be allergic to gay people.
Which is why Wal-mart was just floundering away when homophobic Sam was running things. LOL. The idea that gays are somehow more "creative" than straights I've always found laughable. Cole Porter, as talented as he was, was certainly not more so than Hank Williams or Johnny Cash or Chuck Berry.
Correct me if I'm wrong: This comment gives the impression that you're "holier-than-thou, Janet Naird."
You saw what happened in NEW JERSEY!... Don't let it happen in your state!
Colorado, Virginia, Tennessee, Arizona, Iowa, Wisconsin, South Dakota and South Carolina see details below how to vote on all 8 states - links to each states election boards - etc)
Why gays hate marriage - By Kevin McCullough - Sunday, October 29, 2006 -- [ excerpt ] -- Despite of all that their angry-mob front groups argue for in front of television cameras to the contrary, radical homosexual activists despise the institution and more importantly the sanctity of marriage. That is also the fundamental reason why they are seeking to destroy the institution. This week - dateline Trenton New Jersey... where a unified panel of seven judges agreed that illegitimate sexual unions should be made equitable under law to that of monogamous married persons. Without the consent of the governed these tyrants in black robes sat in judgment of healthy families across the universe and demanded that New Jersey residents accept immoral construction of sexual unions as the equal basis for families and family life in their recreated sexual, liberal, utopia. With utter contempt for God, and for the voters of their state the New Jersey seven unanimously said that all who live in the confines of its borders must fundamentally agree to the moral premise, that what the Bible terms perversion, the voters should call healthy. But why? What's the real goal of the activists, the judges, and the radicals who seek to subvert a moral world view? The answer is simple, no longer satisfied with practicing the unspeakable perverse sexual pleasures that their hearts seek in private bedrooms, they wish to be able to do so in public. They are also suffering from such immense guilt over the actions of their sexual behaviors because they know inherently that the actions they perform are in fact unhealthy - that they will go to any means necessary to try and shut down the voices in their heads that tell them it is wrong .
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Eight states are voting on amendments to their Constitutions. All of them seek to protect marriage essentially the same way as Arizona's amendment describes it below
All of the eight states define the amendment (change/addition to the state's Constitution) essentially the same way. Arizona defines the amendment this way:
All states handle this by having the voters vote on once, except for COLORADO that requires voting on twice: one amendment and one Referendum.
-- Public Announcement from EP -- :)
* WISCONSIN Vote "YES" (to add amendment) (see links for WISCONSIN at the bottom)
* TENNESSEE Vote "YES" (to add amendment) (see links for TENNESSEE at the bottom)
* ARIZONA Vote "YES" (to add amendment) (see links for ARIZONA at the bottom)
* SOUTH DAKOTA Vote "YES" (to add amendment) (see links for SOUTH DAKOTA at the bottom)
* SOUTH CAROLINA Vote "YES" (to add amendment) (see links for SOUTH CAROLINA at the bottom)
* IOWA The only state I could not find the information.. what a mess.. even the Servers were so slow. Drove me crazy!... Found the documents but seems like they did not include the amendment .speaks poorly of that state to me)
* COLORADO
****** On Amendment 43 (Marriage)> Vote "YES" (to add amendment)
****** On Referendum I: Vote "Do not approve" or "NO" (To reject it,depending on how the question is phrased. Don't trust homosexual groups - they lie and confuse issues - this should be looked more carefully since it can be approved later anyway.
(Colorado is more complicated. It has 2 items: Adding Amendment 43 (Vote "YES) and approving Referenum I (Vote NO or Do NOT approve). See COLORADO at bottom for details)
Virginia State Board of Elections
Virginia: The amendment - Ballot question # 1 (page 3)
1 FINAL COPY Proposed Constitutional Amendment To Be Voted on at the November 7, 2006, Election PROPOSED CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT Article I. Bill of Rights. Section 15-A. Marriage. BALLOT QUESTION NUMBER 1
Excerpt -------------------------
EXPLANATION Present Law The Constitution does not define marriage. Under current statutory law in Virginia, persons who marry must have a license and be married by a licensed minister, judge, or other person authorized by law to perform marriages. Present law prohibits marriages between certain individuals. For example, the law prohibits a marriage between a brother and sister, between a couple where one of the parties is married to someone else, and between couples of the same sex. In 1975, the General Assembly enacted a statute (present Code of Virginia § 20- 45.2) that states "A marriage between persons of the same sex is prohibited." In 1997, the General Assembly added a sentence to § 20-45.2 that states that: 2 Any marriage entered into by persons of the same sex in another state or jurisdiction shall be void in all respects in Virginia and any contractual rights created by such marriage shall be void and unenforceable. In 2004, the General Assembly passed a law to prohibit certain civil unions or other arrangements between persons of the same sex. That law (Code of Virginia § 20- 45.3) states that: A civil union, partnership contract or other arrangement between persons of the same sex purporting to bestow the privileges or obligations of marriage is prohibited. Any such civil union, partnership contract or other arrangement entered into by persons of the same sex in another state or jurisdiction shall be void in all respects in Virginia and any contractual rights created thereby shall be void and unenforceable.
Thus, civil unions or other arrangements which purport ?to bestow the privileges or obligations of marriage? are prohibited by statute.
Proposed Amendment If approved by the voters, this proposed amendment will become part of the Constitution of Virginia. The proposed amendment adds a definition of marriage as the ?union between one man and one woman? to the Constitution's Bill of Rights and prohibits Virginia and its counties, cities, and towns from creating or recognizing any legal status by any name which is comparable to marriage. Marriage in the Commonwealth creates specific legal rights, benefits, and obligations for a man and a woman. There are other legal rights, benefits, and obligations which will continue to be available to unmarried persons, including the naming of an agent to make end-of-life decisions by an Advance Medical Directive (Code of Virginia § 54.1-2981), protections afforded under Domestic Violence laws (Code of Virginia § 18.2- 57.2), ownership of real property as joint tenants with or without a right of survivorship (Code of Virginia § 55-20.1), or disposition of property by will (Code of Virginia § 64.1- 46).
A "yes" vote on the proposed amendment will result in the addition of the proposed Section 15-A to Article I, the Bill of Rights. A "no" vote will mean that there will be no change made in Article I, the Bill of Rights."
Winsconsin State Elections Board website
Winsconsin:November 2006 Referenda Questions
Winsconsin:See the actual document (the amendment)
Colorado Secretary of State Elections Center
Colorado:Amendments and Referendums
[1] Colorado: Amendment 43 (Marriage)
[2] Referendum I: Referendum I Referendum I Colorado Legislative Council Staff FISCAL IMPACT STATEMENT Date: August 31, 2006 Fiscal Analyst: Janis Baron 303-866-3523 BALLOT TITLE: SHALL THERE BE AN AMENDMENT TO THE COLORADO REVISED STATUTES TO AUTHORIZE DOMESTIC PARTNERSHIPS, and, in connection therewith, enacting the "colorado domestic partnership benefits and responsibilities act" to extend to same-sex couples in a domestic partnership the benefits, protections, and responsibilities that are granted by colorado law to spouses.....
Summary of Legislation
Upon voter approval, Referendum I establishes legal domestic partnerships in the state of Colorado. Additionally, it specifies eligibility requirements, definitions, procedures, rights, responsibilities, and means for terminating domestic partnerships. The fiscal note cannot accurately project the number of domestic partnerships that would be entered into in Colorado should Referendum I be adopted. For purposes of this analysis, the fiscal note assumes 3,500 annually.
Tennessee Division of Elections
Tennessee Constitutional Amendment # 1 (Marriage - Page 3)
Constitutional Amendment #1 (Page 3)
Shall Article XI of the Constitution of the State of Tennessee be amended by adding the following language as a new, appropriately designated section: SECTION___. The historical institution and legal contract solemnizing the relationship of one man and one woman shall be the only legally recognized marital contract in this state. Any policy or law or judicial interpretation, purporting to define marriage as anything other than the historical institution and legal contract between one man and one woman, is contrary to the public policy of this state and shall be void and unenforceable in Tennessee. If another state or foreign jurisdiction issues a license for persons to marry and if such marriage is prohibited in this state by the provisions of this section, then the marriage shall be void and unenforceable in this state.
Arizona Secretary of State - 2006 Ballot Propositions and Judicial...
OFFICIAL TITLE AN INITIATIVE MEASURE
proposing an amendment to the constitution of arizona; amending the constitution of arizona; by adding article xxx; relating to the protection of marriage
~[snip]~
The Protect Marriage Arizona amendment will preserve the definition of marriage as a union between one man and one woman and prohibit the creation of any other legal status similar to that of marriage. It will assure that marriage is defined by the voice of the people and not by a few activist judges.
A yes vote will protect Arizona from having marriage radically changed to a union of any two people regardless of gender. It will affirm that both mothers and fathers play significant roles in the raising of children and that the legal union between a man and a woman deserves special status in producing the next generation of responsible citizens.
A yes vote will not prohibit same-sex couples or anyone else from forming relationships. It will, however, keep schools, media, organizations, religious denominations, and other societal institutions from being forced to validate, and promote same-sex marriage.
A yes vote will not invalidate anyones civil rights. Marriage is about bringing men and women together, not about civil rights.
A yes vote will not restrict private companies from voluntarily granting benefits to domestic partners, nor will it prevent domestic relationships from taking advantage of existing laws that enable these individuals to share health insurance or death benefits, designate hospital visitation rights, or grant medical durable power of attorney to anyone.
A yes vote will affirm that marriage between a man and a woman is the foundation of a strong family and that strong families are the foundation of great nations.
~[snip]~
ARGUMENTS FOR PROPOSITION 107 Protect Marriage Arizonas Statement Protect Marriage Arizona has been formed as a grassroots response to attacks on marriage in state after state. We say, Let the people decide. We believe Arizona citizens should be given the opportunity to vote on our states marriage policy, and we are confident that Arizona will join 20 other states that have voted to reaffirm the reality that marriage is the union of one man and one woman. A state constitutional amendment provides the strongest possible legal protection for marriage against redefinition by activist state court judges. We also hope to show our national leaders that states want the opportunity to support an amendment to the U.S. Constitution protecting marriage. Marriage between a man and woman is the basic building block of society. As the Supreme Court put it, in a case upholding laws that prevented marriage from being redefined to include polygamy, marriage is the sure foundation of all that is stable and noble in our civilization. Arizona promotes and benefits marriage because marriage between a man and a woman benefits Arizona. Children do best when they have the security of living with a married mother and father. With all the challenges to marriage in society today, the last thing Arizona needs is to redefine marriage in a way that guarantees some children will never have either a mom or a dad. Unfortunately, todays courts seem bent on destroying that foundation. Its time for the people to respond by voting yes on the Protect Marriage Amendment. The Protect Marriage Arizona amendment does exactly what it is entitled to do, that is, protect the definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman. NAME, the National Association of Marriage Enhancement, encourages Arizonans to vote Yes on this amendment to protect, for future generations, the long-standing definition of marriage as one man and one woman. The traditional definition of marriage must be protected. Some would say marriage is a right; it is not -- it is a privilege that carries responsibilities. Society confers legal benefits to marriage, because marriage benefits society. Historically, healthy marriages have been foundational building blocks to any successful society -- Arizona included. This amendment to Arizona's constitution will affirm marriages traditional definition, ensuring it for future generations by prohibiting its redefinition by activist judges and others. Research indicates many benefits for children who are raised by a mother and father, including: they are more likely to succeed academically, are physically healthier, emotionally healthier, demonstrate less
South Dakota: Constitutional Amendment C would amend the State Constitution to allow and recognize marriage only between a man and a woman. 2006 Ballot Question Pamphlet Compiled by the Office of Secretary of State Chris Nelson Constitutional Amendment C Title: An Amendment to Article XXI of the South Dakota Constitution, relating to marriage. Attorney General Explanation South Dakota statutes currently limit marriage to unions between a man and a woman. However, the State Constitution does not address marriage. Amendment C would amend the State Constitution to allow and recognize marriage only between a man and a woman. It would also prohibit the Legislature from allowing or recognizing civil unions, domestic partnerships or other quasi-marital relationships between two or more persons regardless of sex.
A vote Yes will change the Constitution.
A vote No will leave the Constitution as it is.
South Carolina State Elections Commission - Ballot Measures 2006
South Carolina: Constitutional Amendment 1 - Marriage
SUMMARY
This amendment provides that the institution of marriage in South Carolina consists only of the union between one man and one woman. No other domestic union is valid and legal. The State and its political subdivisions are prohibited from creating or recognizing any right or claim respecting any other domestic union, whatever it may be called, or from giving effect to any such right or benefit recognized in any other state or jurisdiction.
However, this amendment also makes clear it does not impair rights or benefits extended by this State, or its political subdivisions not arising from other domestic unions, nor does the amendment prohibit private parties from entering into contracts or other legal instruments. View Complete Text Information Provided by: South Carolina State Elections Commission
Wal Mart hasn't been worth a plug since Sam died.
There is a considerable body of research on which they make that determination. For example, in the 1950s it was assumed that homosexuals are generally very disturbed people, unable to lead productive, stable lives. But the research of Evelyn Hooker, who studied homosexuals in her circle of acquaintances (not homosexuals in treatment or prison), demonstrated that apart from their sexual orientation, homosexuals do indeed live normal, stable lives, often in difficult and demanding professional careers.
My apologies for not responding to your post point by point, but I haven't got the time right now.
Well, a certain Paul said the "wages of sin is death." So for some folks, I recommend they shy away from the "fringe benefits" touted by the opposition spiritual employer.
As for what He actually pays: "Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Would he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, 'Come along now and sit down to eat'? Would he not rather say, 'Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink'? Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.'"
Still, I think servant-slaves bought off the auction block serving a mansion in heaven will be a wee better off than even one who may "gain the whole world."
"By your logic, no company can ever be held accountable for any donation it gives, no matter how objectionable it might be."
My problem is with who does the "holding to account" and whose idea of "objectionable" are we talking about? Those phrases sound startlingly like something you might read in college handbook on "speech codes".
I have no love for the homosexual agenda but I have no love for hypocrites either. Someone hating gay people that much makes no sense to me. Quitting Wal-Mart because they gave a few bucks to some gay group? Yeah, that'll teach 'em!! How will they ever recover from the loss??
People praise her "principles". BS. Grandstanding and bragging is what I see. Let her boycott them for what they did if she feels that is the right thing to do. However, not to do the same to every other organizations who does the same makes her a hypocrite. Grandstanding and trumpeting her hypocritical actions while invoking God as endorsing her childish and hypocritcal behavior is embarrassing to me, to be quite honest.
Other than one woman feeling good about herself, this is a total non-story.
And your point is?
(I mean, you're not one of those folks who when you go into the voting booth & you can only choose between 2 mainstream candidates--one whose a letch versus one whose a tyrant--you wouldn't tell all of us that we can't possibly boycott both Candidate A & Candidate B, would you?)
No problem. I await your reply at a later time.
You're right. The average conservative can't be bothered with overseeing what cauffers their retail buck is really trickling into. They'd just as soon cover their eyes & ears, hold their nose, and spend their $ wherever to feed their retail frenzy.
=a concerted effort by marxist, socialists to bring down America from within.
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