If I can't sleep and it's 2 or 3 AM, I get up and go to Walmart. I love to browse. The atmostphere holds some of the charm of our small towns, where most Walmarts are found.
It was God's divine pre-destination that placed me smack dab in the middle of the home of Walmart, while I was merely passing through Bentonville, MS in fall of 2005. He knew it would mean something to me.
It's a pretty nice town and they were having this giant arts and crafts festival while I was there.
I'm sorry, but I'm not sure what the hate is all about. I mean, if kentucky Fried Chicken comes to town and everyone is mad that Uncle Peterson's not so great fried chicken is now competing with Kentucky Fried - is that fair? Do we eat low quality fried chicken because it's the local chicken place and we don't want to upset Uncle Peterson?
i grew up in a small town and I am the last person to want to see those cool, quaint small town groceries and shops to disappear. At the same time I know I would've loved to have one store that offers the same stuff you find in all the other stores of a chain - like Walmart! You can't argue with competition that offers quality, value, variety and good customer service. Can you? I haven't seen the film, so maybe I should.
Photo courtesy of newspaper, The Onion
16 comments:
I like your article. I do question the first poster about the destruction of culture by Walmart. Last time I checked, the foundation of capitalism is to make money, which creates jobs, allows people to buy stuff, generates tax revenue, and makes us fat and happy so we can do nothing but complain about evil corporations. Of course, not all corporations can be like MTV. They certainly don't seek to make money do they?
Oh Doug - I agree. I wanted to add...
how dumb does it sound that they indirectly fund child slavery? They sell all the same products as other stores, so how they are funding child slavery to get the same products, cheaper? I highly doubt that they fund that.
Be very careful of believing people who slam companies like Walmart. I believe it is false, Like that documentary - "Super Size Me" - that was no "documentary." it should have been called "I Hate McDonalds" because look - he only ate fast food at mcDonalds. If it was a doc. about fast food it should have included Burger King, Wendy's, Hardee's, Arbys and the like. It was his Vendetta against McDonalds - why? because who can stand the degree of success? we are jealous. can you imagine their wealth. Who are the mcDonald's.
Also, if it a true "study" of fast food, he wouldn't have stopped his daily routine of walking 5 miles. He said it's to show the lifestyle of average Americans. They don't all go to McDonalds! Stopping exercise is not a commentary about just the food.
McDonalds is all over the world - why? Because those countries want an American hamburger joint and not just ANY American hamburger - they want THE American hamburger. If we didn't want that kind of food they'd go out of business.
Walmart is the same. People are jealous. They thrive in the smaller towns because they provide products and services that people want very much!
Ridiculous this covert envy.
Walmart also runs a line of Christian books and bibles,etc. People don't do that if they hate those things. I like Walmart. I just bought my new bible cover there with a little fish symbol and IXOYE on it!
Anyone who visits this site to spread hatred will immediately be deleted.
This is not a political blog.
And the religious can stay away. I am not trying to please them.
....I spent so long writing that out.
This will be my last comment on your blog until I gain permission to post again. I don't care if you delete it, I'm talking to you, not the world, and it's my only form of communication.
You should watch out before you go labeling people like you did me. I have no desire to go out and tell people how evil they are; I am a meek person, and I am intimidated to tell anyone they are in the wrong, even close friends that I know can handle it.
It is a little easier online; I have seen since the first time I came here a continuing pattern in your posts, and it is you deciding certain elements within our sad, disgusting culture are approved by G-d because of the entertainment value the give you; certain actors gain your praise as being a tool of G-d to provide you joy, no matter what else may be present in their life.
The christianity on "Diary of a Mad Black Woman" was a sad perversion by our culture of purity as merely being sex; Purity is something much higher than that, and your approving the lesser, cultural standard of what christianity says purity is is need for you to be cautious.
Something else that hsould make you cautious of yourself is that as soon as I said something contrary to you, your response was to delete almost all of my comments, call me religious, question whether I am a christian at all, question whether anything I have ever said is true, and tell me I am not a guest at your blog.
Shouldn't your response have been a gentle rebuke (if you bleieved I was wrong), backed with scripture, demonstrating why you do not agree with me?
Furhtermore, deleting comments like you did is an abuse of the delete button. If I had used profane or innapropriate language, or if I had been spamming, then I would understand. But I responded in a civil manner, and what's more, I spent almost an hour typing up a detailed response to you.
And my response was so nessasary because you had just undermined my christianity and my character, and called me insecure.
It's insulting, to be treated like a small child because you didn't asses me right.
What is probably at the root of all of this is the problem with discussing anything over the internet: tone inference.
You probably read my voice as harsh or condescending. My writing will come out like that online sometimes, though I never get those comments in real life; this is because people have to infer what tone your using online, they can't here it, and that is half of communication itself.
In any case, I have forgiven you, I hope you have forgiven me for any wrongs I have commited you, and I hope we have made amends or will in the future.
"Live at peace with all men as much as is within your power to do so"
.Timothy
Timothy,
First - let me say I'm, sorry. I'm sorry for the time lost in writing. I'm sorry if I have offended you. I already did go over to your site and say this. I also removed a post and some additional material because God laid that upon my heart to do.
But I also cannot be the kind of Christian, apparently, thatt you would like me to be. You are so right - tone inference is important.
It just concerns me, Tim, that you seem to overlook what is actually being said, even when it is spelled out.
I honestly can't think of a scripture for you when I hear hatred, because then I hear and feel Satan speaking to me. Do you understand that? But please also forgive me for writing the post, above, in anger.
"Love is of God, and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who loves not knows not God, for God is Love." That would be one.
You have innocence and vulnerability as a young person, which is a wonderful thing about teenagers. Teens are some of my favorite people. I love and welcome your thoughts and comments. and I don't want to hurt you.
There was a tone of poison of hatred in your comments.
I will not leave hate-filled comments on my blog for others to read.
If you want to get into a deeper discussion, maybe you should e-mail me, also, as I have an e-mail address.
I have been in your place, Tim. I am not condemning you. I know you are a Christian. Christians have a much harder life than anyone - maybe that;s a little known fact.
But you see Tim, you cannot make your point or resolve things with writing a harsh bunch of radically angry words to the point of destroying a person's worth as a Christian. That is what you were doing,
Paul said to beware because we are opening doors to Satan that we must not open, by nearly hating our brethren. I don't hate you Tim, I don't hate you at all!
You know a lot, a lot for a young person. You have an active mind that demands knowledge, information, stimulation. That's wonderful.
I am trying to help you, though you don't see that. Being tied by a religious spirit is the devil's work. I'm really attempting to pour out my heart - what I have learned and to be honest and open. I have the heart of Christ, as you do. I have the mind of Christ, as you do. I don't have to fear what is in me.
I am so sorry if you are offended, but if you see people who have areas that still need work, or something they may not see, or some weakness of the flesh - are you going to lash out at them? Is that what Christians are supposed to do "for" each other.
I didn't write a scripture or anything, because you were so inflamed, it didn't seem you would even listen.
Dear Tim. You are welcome on my blog. I just can't leave those kind of comments on my blog. I want you to be honest, but that kind of stuff leaves behind, well, something demonic.
Just try to understand that fierce attacks on people, even if you are right, are terribly wrong if you are dealing with one of God's children.
This reminds me of the Funeral Protesters.
If you are dealing with one of Satan's children - it won't do any good either because they never want to repent.
So, in general, it doesn't work.
See how I say this in "Turn The Other Cheek."
I just don't understand how you see things, Tim. Diary Of A Mad Black woman had exactly the opposite message of what you're saying. It had a clear, strong message about sexual purity as I almost never see.
Can you affect the world with right-ness if you citicize even pure things, dear Tim? Did you leave the comment about my friend Dominick? He basically agrees with what I am saying. We have a good relationship. Why would you condemn me for how I relate to my friend - as a friend without sex - instead of applauding a godly relationship?
I don't understand you is what I am saying, and in addition, you have been threatening. I am concerned about you not truly reading things or seeing things as they are meant. Yes, - that was a very smart insight - tone inference.
But it is uneasy even having you visit my blog Tim.
How can I make it possible for you to see what is spelled out in black and white?
Things were in black and white (pun) in that movie.
And, you can't be against a beautiful brief meeting with a very positive star, Will Smith where we said nothing, but he lit up when he saw me and seemed interested in being able to talk to me.
It was meaningful for me. And so amazing.
On the Walmart issue: you just didn't seem to hear what I was saying. Maybe, in the world of blogging, I will better learn how to express myself. Sometimes we are under a pressure that Satan puts on us, and some of us are more vulnerable to that - and he gets us to go ahead and say or do things we regret, like the angry comment. It is a lifetime of mastering the art of resisting that.
I totally do forgive you, and look forward to a more positive connection in the future.
You are an amazing young person and have so much to look forward to and I want you to realize all of your potential and find an abundance of happiness and joy. I mean that.
I meant comment - the comment above, when I wrote "post"
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