Support Wal-Mart
No, I am not getting a cut of proceeds from advising you all to support Wal-Mart.
I have a more practical reason to ask you this.
Apparently some anti-gay organizations are all up in arms because the store has not only "dared" to support the gay community but is also selling items that cater to the gay community (http://www.savewalmart.com/):
"On August 21, 2006, the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce” (NGLCC) announced a “partnership” with Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
Wal-Mart is now a corporate member” of the NGLCC.
Wal-Mart gave a one time $25,000 gift to join the NGLCC.
A Wal-Mart vice-president will serve as an advisor to NGLCC.
Wal-Mart will now sponsor (pay for) some programs of the NGLCC."
Oh the horror!
All Wal-Mart is doing is catering to a segment of the buying public. And we, the gay community, are a segment of the buying public.
But according to groups like Operation Save America:
"Wal-Mart is being blackmailed by the abortion industry and the radical homosexual agenda. That’s right! After being lambasted for years by the anti-family, pro-abortion, pro-homosexual, radical left, Wal-Mart is caving in. This former “family friendly store” is bowing to, and being extorted by, the demands of those who hate God, marriage, family, children, and America!"
There they go again with the conspiracy theory and the dire consequences technique (see yesterday's post.)
I am all for people not shopping at Wal-Mart because they disagree with the store's policy but that is not the case here. This boycott is not to improve worker conditions or store conditions, but to make Wal-mart adhere to their moral code.
Apparently these groups (and our friend Peter LaBarbera has a small hand in the circus) have picked November 24th, the day that Christmas shopping really starts, to put their campaign in full blast.
What their campaign means is more lies. In other words, if it even seems like Wal-Mart is not making as much money over the Christmas shopping season as the store has predicted, these groups are going to take credit for it.
I personally think that our community should go out of our way to support Wal-Mart if the store is truly going to bat for us. And not just Wal-Mart. If anyone or any store is willing to take a hit for us, then we should show some level of support.
As luck would have it, my mother's birthday is on November 24th. Thanks to Operation Save America and our friend Peter LaBarbera, she will be receiving something besides a cash gift of $50.
She will be receiving a nice set of gifts from Wal-Mart.