New Criticism of Wal-Mart: Teens Can't Resist Temptation to Steal and Will Get Criminal Records
The first-ever Wal-Marts are coming soon to four retail-starved Washington, D.C. neighborhoods. There have been lots of arguments against Wal-Mart: low, non-union wages, adverse effects on local merchants, child labor violations, predatory behavior, monopsony power, poor benefits and working conditions, traffic congestion, etc., there is even an entire Wikipedia listing for "Criticism of Wal-Mart," but note that there are not comparable listings for "Criticism of Target" or "Criticism of Home Depot").
Well, Wikipedia can now add some new criticisms for Wal-Mart, based on this recent Washington Post article:
"Washington, D.C. residents worry that the store would suffer severely or even fail because of petty theft. 'There will probably be a lot of shoplifting going on. They'll need a lot of security,' local resident Terriea Sutton, 35, said.
Brenda Speaks, a Ward 4 Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, actually urged blocking construction of the planned store in her ward at Georgia and Missouri avenues NW partly because of that risk. Addressing a small, anti-Wal-Mart rally at City Hall last Monday, Speaks said young people would get criminal records when they couldn't resist the temptation to steal [from Wal-Mart]."
17 Comments:
OK, I'll be the first to say it:
Unbelievable.
So kids will steal from Wal-Mart, but not from other businesses?
According to this illogic, we should ban politician because they might be tempted to steal from the taxpayers.
We should ban the beach, because traffic picks up in the summer.
Is the argument here that Wal-Mart is easier to steal from than other stores? One would think that by lowering prices and making more products affordable to low income teens, Wal-Mart would be increasing their ability to buy these products and therefore reducing their temptation to steal.
"Shoplifting" and "petty theft", just one more way that Wall-Mart provides opportunity to inner city kids. And don't forget all those additional security guard jobs.
I hope that Ms. Speaks is an "African-American" or we'll be fitting her out with a white hood. Do they sell those a Wal-Mart? If not, she need only contact former Democrat Senator Robert Byrd's office for his tailors number.
I have been to these sections of DC - I think they are saying people will be tempted to steal from Wal-Mart because right now there is basically no retail in those areas. Well, unless you count check cashing, liquor stores, pawn shops and "we buy gold" places as retail (of course they are retail, but you know what I mean). They are afraid Wal-Mart will run out of there just like everyone else that can has run out of there.
In a few years, I predict they will love their Wal-Marts just like everyone else that shops there.
But I love that they are blaming Wal-Mart for potentially increasing the criminal records of local teens. It is a pretty creative argument, cooked up no doubt by the Washington Post. I guess the only way to safe guard these kids is to remove all opportunity to steal? They have just about done that in these neighborhoods, and it ain't workin.
Hmmm, I can help but wonder if Brenda Speaks gets her inspiration from Sheila Jackson Lee?
"Hmmm, I can help but wonder if Brenda Speaks gets her inspiration from Sheila Jackson Lee?"
After watching that video, I don't see any other possibility.
Marko
"I have been to these sections of DC - I think they are saying people will be tempted to steal from Wal-Mart because right now there is basically no retail in those areas. Well, unless you count check cashing, liquor stores, pawn shops and "we buy gold" places as retail"
A more important difference between Walmart and the other businesses you mention is that the others are usually well protected by owners who keep firearms within easy reach. Walmart is more like a "gun free" school zone.
I still can't figure out why Walmart wants or needs to open store in a toilet town like DC...
Did some of their stockholding heavies develop some sort of warped 'social justice mindset' all of a sudden?
Will there be some sort of political payoff waiting in the wings for Walmart if the go ahead with this project?
Where is the upside for Walmart and its shareholders?
we should ban food for these kids as well.
they will be tempted to get fat.
Not a fan of walmart, but really, this is perhaps one of the more idiotic things I've heard in a while.
Where is the upside for Walmart and its shareholders?
Juandos, it doesn't make sense for a normal company. But it makes sense if you run a cult, which is really what walmart is - a really successful cult.
Brenda Speaks, you glittering jewel of colossal ignorance: if the kids won't be able to resist the temptation to steal, then they are already criminals, and it is just a matter of time before they have that record. This is not rocket science.
"if the kids won't be able to resist the temptation to steal, then they are already criminals, and it is just a matter of time before they have that record. This is not rocket science.
Yes, and Walmart will be doing a social good here by introducing them gently, step by step to the criminal justice system while they are young, rather than denying them opportunities until they are 18, when their first lesson might be 3-5 in the state pen.
"Juandos, it doesn't make sense for a normal company. But it makes sense if you run a cult, which is really what walmart is - a really successful cult"...
Like Scientology, eh Jason?
You know in some odd way that makes a twisted sort of sense...
Cult of Walmart
Why I'm a member of the "cult".
http://americandigest.org/mt-archives/american_studies/the_gift_of_the_walmagi.php
Apologies. The last letter of the link should be "p".
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