Baby, it's cold outside! Winter has never been my favorite season. I can remember watching my little brother and sister drag their sleds up hills just so they could fly down and scream at the tops of their lungs. They had a ball. Their coats would be unzipped, scarves around their necks dangling and their stocking caps half-cocked and you could just see the joy in their eyes, hear it in their screams.
All I could think about was that I knew my mom was making hot chocolate and would be calling us in for a break to warm up and I suspect, from the distance of many years, check to make sure we weren't suffering from the ill effects of the cold. It never crossed my mind that this wasn't the normal way to behave. You watched out for those who might be suffering or needed help.
Yesterday, I read that Wal-Mart, instead of donating unsold merchandise like coats and hats and gloves to homeless shelters, cuts them up. It made me sick. They are behaving like predators in the wild. In the animal world you expect savage behavior, tearing apart those weaker so that your species survives. Is Wal-Mart so afraid that someone else may benefit financially, they're willing to ignore the plight of those less fortunate? Seems pretty cold-blooded to me.
At this time, I haven't seen any statements from Wal-Mart, either to defend their actions or amend their policy. I've seen plenty of outrage from others. If corporations as big as Wal-Mart behave this way and don't feel the need to explain or change their ways, what does that say about where our civilization is headed?
8 comments:
Let me counter with a warm story. One of our local grocery stores used to sell day-old bakery items at reduced prices. Last year they decided to forego that income in favor of donating the day olds to local food banks. Instead of making that extra buck on a pie or a loaf of bread, some homeless person gets to eat for free. For every greedy corporation, there's a business willing to show their humanity. Yes, I shop there more often now. Haven't been to Wal-Mart in a while.
Pat C.
Pat,
Stories like these make my day! Thank you for sharing;-)
Paris, I hate shopping at Wal-Mart for many, many reasons, one of them being the lousy way they treat their employees, overall. In fact, I probably haven't been in one for over a year now.
Why couldn't they have, at least, donated them to their employees. And maybe some of them would have taken them to a shelter... oh, no, can't be that compassionate.
In the long run, they'll fail because of their cold-hearted, miserly ways. In the meantime, others and all of us suffer.
Unfortunately, Wal-Mart may be the only place I can find one type of heater I need. I hope not.
Pat, I love places like that and try to do spend my dollars there, whenever I can.
That absolutely breaks my heart. Where has caring and support gone in our society? Heck, how about good old common sense!
Walmart, pull your head out! Please!!
I saw the article too and thought it was just sick. Of course wallyworld pisses me off for soooo many reasons. This year I decided all my Christmas spending will be in the form of donations, and it felt good. I am going to try and keep it up every year. I can't see as my attitude toward commercialized Christmas is ever going to change, so why not?
Savanna,
I think many of us run into the same problem of only being able to find certain things at WM. Unfortunately in the town south of us the remaining chain grocery store disappeared afte WM put in a supercenter. Now it's the only grocery shopping available for that town.
Serena,
Good question but I don't think they'll take your suggestion;-)
Crystal,
What a great idea!
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