Ok, so I have never claimed to be the biggest Wal-Mart fan out there, however living where I do it’s either shop at Wal-Mart up the road or drive 30+ miles to the nearest Target. However, I have always taken at least some comfort in the thought that Wal-Mart seemed to be “all American” which is part of its popularity in Southern areas. They seem to like to pull out the red white and blue and put on a good show for the community.
BUT, today I had an agitating experience, and if I wasn’t stuck 30 miles out from the nearest Target, I would certainly stop shopping there in protest.
I was browsing through the 2008 calendars and happened upon the “2008 George W. Bush Out of Office Countdown Calendar.” I found myself terribly offended not just because I am a Bush supporter, but because the calendar was simply in very poor taste. However, that wasn’t the worst of it. What really pissed me off something fierce was the fact that there weren’t any calendars that were pro American there.
I went through all four rotating racks of calendars. There were the usual suspects; girls in bikinis, cars, Bratz, Nature, Sponge Bob… But nothing with an American flag on it. No “Proud to be an American” calendar. No patriotism whatsoever. But there was the anti-Bush calendar. I was steamed at this point. I mean, it’s one thing to see this sort of garbage at Daily Kos or MoveOn. I would expect to see it at a head shop or some granola feed liberal hippie coffee shop. But Wal-Mart? No. Not at Wal-Mart.
So, since I can’t stop shopping there, I’ve been pondering writing a letter or starting a petition requesting Wal-Mart to stop carrying the calendar, since it is in such poor taste. But, I need more supporters. If I draft up a petition, would anybody be willing to put their name on it with me?
Update 1:
Here is the link to the petition/letter I drafted up. Please go check it out and sign it if you agree with it or give me your feedback as to any changes or anything you’d like to see added. Thanks!
Wal-Mart has been on my boycott list for a long time and for many reasons! Not the least of which is the fact that the vast majority of their products are no longer “Made in the U.S.A.”. Wal-Mart imports most of its products from China now. And ever since Sam Walton died, that chain has been going further and further down the toilet.
Their employees are rude, ignorant and generally know JACK about good customer service. Their stores are always filthy and in disrepair. Is it obvious yet that I HATE Wal-Mart?
And if I ever saw the sort of pathetic display you describe, I would definitely be having words with the general manager.
ALZ, I will support your petition.
I’ve never got into Walmart bashing, but it’s only because I’m a capitalist from the word “go”.
Reasons why I do hate Walmart:
Their stuff is cheap and the “Super Walmarts” drive me crazy. They never have what I’m looking for in the grocery section, and the damn place is so flippin’ huge that if you forget the milk you may as well walk next door to the grocery store, because it’s at least a five minute walk away. (Especially when you factor in all of the crazy people you have to dodge on the way to the back of the store. Have you seen how high people pile their carts with crappy food and useless garbage? ARGH.)
Okay, so I guess I could probably get into Walmart bashing. But let it be known that it’s not because I’m against a corporation making money. It’s only because it’s an annoying place… that also happens to sell Bush-bashing calendars.
Sorry. I totally digressed just then.
Anyway, I’ll help you.
And to Skyboss, the reason why we can’t buy anything American anymore is because it costs too much to employ Americans to make the stuff, and because the government puts too much undue hardship on the employer with crazy laws. If you worked in my job (Human Resources) for one week, you’d understand why we’re having them make things overseas, or buying goods overseas. It’s sad, I know. I’d much rather buy American. Unfortunately, buying American also means paying a higher price for the goods to attempt to cover for the higher cost of employing Americans.
I guess I’d rather we buy it where we can get it cheapest (labor included) so that our companies can stay in business. I’d MUCH rather have the government and laws reduced in size by about 1/2, but we all know that isn’t going to happen.
Anybody got a pen ?
This is going to be brave, I dont have facts to back this up. But I do have some knowledge.
Could it be that most of Walmarts customers dont like Bush?
Does Walmart attract a clientel that is mostly liberal?
Suspecting by the fact that most liberals are of the entitlement category, Hence, you have a welfare and lower income clientel.
Conservatives as a statistic have better incomes. We are capitalistic pigs, right ?
So who would be more likely to buy these calenders ?
Sure ! Us conservatives want a deal just like anyone else. But which party is always in search of something for nothing ?
I mean , not one nice picture of George and Laura ?
Absolutely agree. It is all the above reasons and more. I say someone needs to front the money for a chain of stores called “American Made”. I know paying more to be guaranteed of quality and ensuring job security is reason enough to give them my money. Here’s something for if you feel evil and bored. Give the cashier a 20$ bill and have them count the change back to you. It’s sad and hilarious at the same time.
Ok, that’s good enough for me. I’ll write something up and post it.
And Pheisty, I’m with you in the fact that I have never bashed Wal-Mart for who or what they are, as I am a capitalist to the bitter end… But damn if Wal-Mart has the tendency to piss me off sometimes. Most of the time I just suck it up because I have to deal with it, but with something as insulting as this, I can’t help but to get a bit uppity.
Call it bashing if you want. Walmart is pro-American only to the extent that it likes the American $$. They actually do serve a diverse clientele including those that actively hate the Right to those that can laugh and shrug.I’ll close saying Walmart actually helped to create and drive to a frenzy the rabid consumerism that is middle America.We have ourselves to blame in many ways. In trying to keep up with the Jonses we screwed the Smiths,Johnsons,Washingtons etc….
I sort of have a love-hate thing with Walmart. On the one hand, the stores are busy and dirty, filled with less than attractive customers and employees that are next to useless, and contain some truly low-quality merchandise. On the other hand, the prices are better on the products that aren’t exclusive to Walmart, they are open at convenient hours, and I know that if I really need something, Walmart will probably have it. I really try to go to the local businesses first, but around here at least, most of the local businesses suck. They’re usually just a stop on the way to Walmart. So, I never shed a tear if a Walmart shuts down a local business (which doesn’t really seem to happen near enough around here anyway).
Also, it seems that if one hates Walmart, one MUST like Target. I kind of hate them both. Shopping at Target is certainly a more pleasant experience, as the stores are cleaner and less busy, but the prices aren’t really any better than anywhere else, there’s quite a bit of stuff that Target simply does not carry when compared to Walmart or even some of the drug store chains around here, and their employees aren’t much more useful than Walmart (Although, I worked retail for awhile, so I’m wlling to cut most of these employees some slack. We customers suck). I rarely leave Target satisfied. I generally have to go elsewhere to either compare prices or to purchase something that Target doesn’t carry.
Ok, here’s the link to the petition/letter I cooked up to send to Wal-Mart. Let me know if you’d like to see something add or changed or whatever, or just go ahead and sign it as is if you want.
Thank You!
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/tell-wal-mart-to-support-america
Viciemonkey ( you have to tell me what that means one day)
I know what you mean on the change thing.
I bought my boy a bike when he finished grade school
and its reuired you buy a license for the bike at the same time The clerk has to fill out the form. The customer is not allowed to do this. I dont see why, she has to write down what I tell her anyway.
The idiot kept looking for the serial # on the box.
I told her 3 times , its on the bottom of the frame.
She kept telling me ” my supervisor said its on the box” Finally I stepped in front of her and took the bike out and showed it to her.
A week later I got a notice saying that I have the wrong serial number , it doesnt match the data base.
I had to paythe 15 bucks over again and go down there with the bike and start over again.
I like to pull the stickers off my produce and watch these numbskulls try to figuire out what they have.
I told one once that a kiwi fruit was a fermented duck egg and she called for a price check on a fermented duck egg
Forgot the point ( he he)
The idiot wrote down the wrong number anyway
Hey Micky, arclight may be better suited to explain the name. I am not sure I could do it where it made sense. I am thinking that if we don’t receive a response regarding this, shopping 30+ miles away will become a reality. I won’t miss it. Target is better all around and not just because it is a Minnesota company.
Target is just better anyway…well worth the trip. Wal-Mart usually has a lot of thoughtless idiots with like a million kids running wild.
Anyway, just one point…You know how I feel about Bush so you may just sweep me under the Liberal rug which I won’t fit under (my reasons run deep), however “pro American” doesn’t mean you can’t disagree or dislike your present government. But I do agree that there should have at least been a bald eagle calendar there or something! That seems kind of odd not to have some kind of American-inspired calendar. At least one.
AJJ, you need to stop making the assumption that I (we) will sweep you under the rug for your anti-Bush sentiment. You’re free to your opinion, and as long as you don’t get all weird and looney and start Bush bashing, I don’t care what you say. In fact, I encourage it. I don’t want everybody here to carry the same opinion. That gets boring.
With that said, I agree that being pro-American doesn’t mean that you can’t dislike your government (or President). I simply think it is in poor taste to do so in the manner that so many have chosen. It is very childish and I think it refelcts poorly on the people like you who have legitimate gripes about Bush.
But, I would never tell somebody that they can’t do something, only that they shouldn’t, and as such Wal-Mart is free to do as they please. I would, however, like to see something that a person like myself could hang on his wall. Even something that reflects pride in the military, which is a fairly neutral stance, would be better than nothing at all.
A.J.
Bush is by no means perfect. I have a few gripes with him myself.
I think what I and a lot of consevatives are tired of is the ones who dont believe he can’t do anything right. Or blame him for events that are par for the course
Well, I guess I just feel the need to say all that because I know how passionate everyone is over here about our government. And I don’t want to be kicked out when I get all anti-whatever.
naw, we love you for who you are
Keep it up!
Ha! Like I needed another reason to not shop at Wal-Mart. I haven’t gone into a Wal-Mart willingly in years. They treat their employees like shite, destroy local business then pull out (if they stayed and kept property on the tax rolls, I wouldn’t object), and worst of all, the account for nearly 25% of all imports to the USA from Communist China. But this sort of back handed insult shouldn’t be all that surprising, as the Waltons were big supporters of the Clintons.