At war with the Left, Wal-Mart veers sharply left
For many on the left, Wal-Mart embodies what’s wrong with America. They’re big buildings are ugly. They’re
not environmentally friendly. They underpay their workers. They hire slave labor overseas. They
discriminate against blacks and women. The list goes on and on. Despite the vociferous attacks on these
issues, recent decisions by Wal-Mart should help build bridges, if you’ll excuse the unintended Clinton reference, to
common ground with the left.
For reasons that are not immediately apparent to me, Wal-Mart has suddenly and seriously embraced the gay rights
movement. The American Family Association has an astonishing list of gay-friendly bullet points about Wal-Mart
on their
website. As if those weren’t bad enough, read this latest
notice from AFA:
November 9, 2006
Please help us get this
information into the hands of as many people as possible by forwarding it to your entire email list
of family and friends.
Wal-Mart Contributes 5% Of Online Sales To
Homosexual Group
Sign the pledge not to shop at Wal-Mart or
Sam’s Club on the Friday and Saturday following Thanksgiving. Time is short. Act today!
Help recruit 1,000,000 families who will agree not
to shop at Wal-Mart or Sam’s Club (owned by Wal-Mart) on the Friday and Saturday following Thanksgiving.
Here’s why:
In a show of support to help homosexuals legalize same-sex marriage, Wal-Mart has agreed
to automatically donate 5% of online sales directly to the Washington DC Community Center for Gay,
Lesbian Bisexual and Transgender People. The cash donation will come from online purchases made at
Wal-Mart through the homosexual group’s Web site. This move follows Wal-Mart’s joining the National
Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce and agreeing to give generous financial help to that organization
also.
Every purchase made online for books, music, videos, clothing and accessories, children’s
clothing and toys, and electronics at the site will automatically send 5% of the sales to the
CCBLBT People. The agreement is an indication that Wal-Mart is totally committed to supporting the
homosexual movement.
Wal-Mart also gave a generous cash donation to the Northwest Arkansas Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual,
Transgender Community Center, helping to provide a place where homosexuals can come together to
“socialize.”
Many observers feel it would have been a wise business decision for Wal-Mart to remain neutral in
the cultural battle over homosexual marriage. But this was an ideological decision by Wal-Mart –
not a business decision.
Take Action
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I find the last line there interesting. Wal-Mart could have remained neutral and just gone about their
business. Many companies employee gay workers — mine even might; I don’t know. Wal-Mart though has
taken deliberate and unmistakable steps to
actively support a lifestyle that, based on the defense of marriage
amendments passing nationwide, a large swath of their customer base opposes.
What might have caused this sudden shift? It’s hard to say, but my money is on
Patricia A. Curran:
Patricia A. Curran
Executive Vice President, Store Operations, Wal-Mart Stores Division
Pat has responsibility for the operations of the retailer’s more than 3,800 Discount, Supercenter, and
Neighborhood Market stores in the United States.
She was promoted to her current position in 2005.
Pat has a distinguished background with Wal-Mart, beginning her career in 1983 as an hourly associate in the
pets department and then moving on to Department Manager, Assistant Manager, Co-Manager and Store Manager. Pat
has also worked as a Regional Personnel Manager, District Manager, Operations Coordinator, Regional Vice
President, and Divisional Merchandise Manager. In 2003, she was promoted to Senior Vice President of Wal-Mart
store operations for the division that included Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland, Virginia,
Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Delaware, and Ohio.
Pat is active in many organizations and boards. She is a member of the Center for Retailing Excellence at the
Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas, the Network of Executive Women, Coca-Cola
Retailing Research Council, and the Single Parent Scholarship Fund of Washington County. She also is the
executive sponsor of PRIDE, Wal-Mart’s gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender associate resource group, and the
executive sponsor of Speaking of Women’s Health, Wal-Mart’s educational initiative for women’s health.
So, what is a morality-loving shopper to do? That’s your call.