Posted on 11/09/2006 10:10:32 AM PST by Froufrou
Wal-Mart, long pummeled by the political left, is taking additional flak from the right.
A conservative activist group is trying to recruit one million families who will refuse to shop at Wal-Mart or Sam's Club on the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving, traditionally two of the busiest shopping days of the year.
The American Family Association is furious with Wal-Mart for reaching out to homosexual advocacy groups that support same-sex marriage.
The criticism began when Wal-Mart announced it would join the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. And now Wal-Mart has made a deal with the Washington DC Center for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender People, agreeing to donate 5 percent of the sales made through the group's website to the Center.
"Every purchase made online for books, music, videos, clothing and accessories, children's clothing and toys, and electronics at the site will automatically send 5% of the sales to the CCBLBT People," the AFA said in a message to its supporters.
"The agreement is an indication that Wal-Mart is totally committed to supporting the homosexual movement," the AFA said.
The conservative advocacy group complains that Wal-Mart also gave a "generous cash donation" to the Northwest Arkansas Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Community Center, helping to provide a place where homosexuals can come together to "socialize."
The AFA says Wal-Mart should have remained neutral in the cultural battle over homosexual marriage.
It says Wal-Mart made an "ideological" decision, not a business decision.
Not social/political issues, man.
...protection racket.
Pathetic. Al-Qaeda wants to kill us all, the Democrats won't do anything to stop them, the Republicans just got body-slammed, and conservatives are getting upset about a STORE?
Oh, I couldn't agree more. Anyone who works there is clearly doing so by choice. I was just giving my personal opinion of how they do things.
Really good post, zulu! That article was enlightening for me too, for all the reasons you so eloquently expressed.
I'm 54 and I remember the way Wal-Mart first came to big cities, promising American-made products. That was how they stole business from other companies like K-mart.
Once they were a stronghold all that has vanished. You'd be hard-pressed to find American products there anymore. I shudder to think what it's done to the garment workers.
Excellent, spot-on point!
Houston has an extremely high population density, with 8 million people crammed into the metropolitan area. The highways alone are filthy and terrifying meatgrinders. I saw a fifty-car pileup on 45 on the north side when I was coming back from Missouri one time. And for two years I had to negotiate the 59/610 interchange in morning and evening rush hour traffic. What a nightmare.
You can't do anything in Houston without having fifteen people in your way and being in the way of fifteen others. Moving back to Missouri was like moving back to heaven. I've been back five years and I still thank God every day that I am.
I liked Houston/Sugar Land and I miss it, but the whole freaking town is nasty and noisy and crowded because there are so many people in it, yet you choose to single out Wal-Mart.
Priceless.
Well, this isn't a "Houston sucks" thread. If it were, I might find something else to complain about.
But as it is, this is a Wal-Mart thread, so I confine my complaints to Wal-Mart.
Some social conservatives are upset that Walmart is supporting an organization that helps to erode this nation. You mentioned Al-Qaeda. Perhaps one of the reasons Al-Qaeda hates us is the enabling the homosexual community receives in America. You mentioned Democrats. The Democratic leaders are not socially conservative and also enable the homosexual community. As I see it, social conservatives are being consistent with their beliefs and are speaking out when yet another company does something to erode the culture of this nation.
And to me, that is the difference. AFA is pushing this issue, not WalMart.
Personally I hope AFA succeed in getting its boycott going against WalMart.....that means less people in the store when I want to go shopping.
I guarantee you it's not the "training".
Every Wal-Mart and every store like it in my area tends to have slow-moving, careless, rude, nonchalant losers working the place.
It's all about the general mentality of your region. Mine is a blue state.
There are only 2 franchise businesses I know of that you're virtually guaranteed great service, including courtesy - Nordstrom, and Chick-Fil-A.
The Smoot-Hawley Tarrif was enacted because of similar xenophobic sentiments.
Smoot-Hawley was one of the factors that helped make the Great Depression so Great.
BINGO!!!!!!!!!!
The anti-(pick your poison) mentality of some people is definitely getting in the way of not only reading comprehension, but COMMON SENSE.
How can you say "quality cars"?
I remember the 60's (we apparently are the same age) when any American car was totally worn out at 50,000 miles.
VW came out with a 60,000 mile warrentee, and Toyota raised it to 100,000 miles, in the 70's. then, and only then did GM, Ford, and Mopar put emphasis on quality production.
Before you say I'm down on American products, I had a GM truck that I put 180,000 miles on it (93 s-15), sold it to a friend, and he has put another 110,000 miles on it. There has been NO mechanical breakdown, not even an alternator. the A/C is gone due to a deer accident and the cost of the freon, however. LOL
The Wal-Marts in Houston are a reflection of Houston in general, but you want to ignore that fact. How intellectually slovenly.
I try to look at the source of the problem and the source is Walmart looking to increase it's business through a homosexual website. Some social conservatives have a problem with that and believe Walmart is no longer worth supporting.
Personally I hope AFA succeed in getting its boycott going against WalMart.....that means less people in the store when I want to go shopping.
I've read some of your posts on Walmart and some of your posts on homosexuality. What I think is humorous is I *knew* you were going to say that!
Actually, your link suggests it was more a consequence of the Depression than a cause. But, I get your point.
Still, it's hard to watch us trade with countries in efforts to help the needy only to have the U.N. squander it out from under them...and us...
Jeez, did I cut you off in traffic this morning or something? You seem determined to irritate me.
My ignoring your characterization of Houston as dirty and overcrowded was my polite way of disagreeing with you. I'm looking down on Post Oak Boulevard right now, watching city workers put up Christmas trees. My drive home down San Felipe to Briar Forest is anything but filthy - I see some of the prettiest homes in Houston.
But since you seem to want me peevish and irritated, go ahead and diss my hometown some more. I gather it makes you feel superior.
I didn't say it was a cause. I said it was one of the factors which caused the Great Depression to be so Great, which the article also says ("...while the tariff might not have caused the Depression, it certainly did not make it any better.").
You need to move out west.
In just the last month, I have had 2 instances of super service:
In the first, an electrical wholesaler kept his business open for 1/2 and hour while I came over, and purchased a $20 cable. he didn't know me from adam, but he wanted to help.
And here is the strangest of all: In the county landfill, I was struggling to unload a refrigerator, when one of the guys working there noticed. He came over and volunteered to help me unload it. You can call them losers, but but I call them human beings.
BTW, UTAH is a red state. the only state in the country that made Bill Clinton third, behind Ross Perot in, I think, Clintons first election.....Bob
I 'think' its only online purchases made from the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce's website.
The criticism began when Wal-Mart announced it would join the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. And now Wal-Mart has made a deal with the Washington DC Center for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender People, agreeing to donate 5 percent of the sales made through the group's website to the Center.
"Every purchase made online for books, music, videos, clothing and accessories, children's clothing and toys, and electronics at the site will automatically send 5% of the sales to the CCBLBT People," the AFA said in a message to its supporters.
I think the AFA should go after religious groups that allow gays before worrying about the rest of society.
The question is, why is Walmart specifically doing a "donation drive" for gays? Do they think people will spend more money at their web site knowing their money is going to a political organization pushing the gay agenda?
Look at it this way. Walmart is actually encouraging homosexuals to NOT physically shop in their stores. ;)
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