The last time I shopped at Walmart was about a year ago. I remember
thinking how wonderfully convenient it was that I could purchase my
groceries, my household items and get my film developed in one full
swoop, and get a bargain to boot! But then something happened that
really burst my bubble… I got a crash course in Walmart Economics.
The more I learned about Walmart’s philosophy and business practices,
the more concerned I became, and ultimately, the more committed I chose
to be toward sharing all that I’ve learned with as many people as
possible.

As a person of conscience, there came a time when I was forced to
reconcile all that I had learned and accept responsibility for it. That
meant taking a stand… and that meant standing on the principal, “do
unto others as you would have them do unto you”. It’s really as simple
as that.

As a single mom on a fixed income, with three children at home, I full
well know the importance of being as frugal as possible but I do not
what to be responsible for the grief that someone else has to endure as
a way of life in order to make ends meet in my own life. How anyone can
justify this is beyond my understanding.

The truth is, Walmart can afford to offer some of the low prices that
they do because they are paying sweat shop wages, sometimes as low as 3
cents an hour, to manufacture the same goods that were once
manufactured here at home. The effect of this has resulted in the loss
of good paying jobs at home as well as a lowering of a work standard
and ethic that had once made America great. Rather than raising
standards throughout the rest of the world, Walmart is systematically
lowering standards at home –  all this in the name of the almighty
dollar, with no regard to the impact that such detrimental practices
have on individuals, families, and communities throughout, not only
this country, but the world.

Walmart currently has 3700 stores throughout the country and has
ambitious plans to raise that number to 6,000 within the next 5 to 6
years. Is this in line with your vision of America? Where Walmart is
the only place to shop… where the nostalgia of our historic downtown
communities no longer exist because Walmart intentionally sets out to
annihilate all competition? Where Walmart is one of the few places left
in our communities to work? Where our brothers and sisters are denied
good benefits, a decent living wage, respect and dignity on the job,
and the right to organize and form a union?

How can we forget the sacrifices of our forefathers who gave their
lifeblood to ensure our way of life?  Yes, we live in a capitalist
society but does that mean that everything we are, everything we
believe, must be reduced down to the “bottom dollar?” Is this not the
same as worshiping mammon? Does the bible not warn us against the “love
of money?” At what point do people matter more than profit? What
happened to “we are our brother’s keeper?” These are the many questions
that continue to make my head spin and my heart ache and I for one,
cannot ignore them.

This philosophy of profit at any cost, is undoing America, and every
one of us who chooses to turn a blind eye to what is happening right
under our noses, is partly responsible for the harm that is being done.
As the largest corporation in the world, Walmart has the power to do
right, and to do good, and sometimes they do, but all things
considered, when you step back and look at the big picture, Walmart is
responsible for doing far more harm than good. It seems strikingly
apparent to me that The Walmart Corporation chooses to live by the old
adage, “he with the most gold make the rules”, and given the millions
of dollars they spend lobbying for subsidies and other favors, it seems
they are well on their way to doing exactly that. Other small
businesses don’t get subsidies so why should Walmart? Isn’t America
supposed to represent fairness, equality, freedom and justice for ALL?
We should have a fair and level playing field with everyone being held
to the same standard.

America may be financially wealthy, but if we allow corporations like
Walmart to continue to choose profit over people, what does that say
about the wealth of our collective spirit? We can no longer afford to
rationalize unto ourselves at the expense of others, here at home or
abroad. As a matter of principal, we can no longer allow greed to trump
need. Wake up America! Wake up Walmart!

www.wakeupwalmart.com