Food For Thought Or How Do You Want Your Goat Grilled

[RLENT]

The "little more" in this case is deviating from their normal practice of undercutting everyone else and for this one group of people promising to always price higher than them.

So lemme see if I get this straight ..... Walmart is generally reviled by most, for exactly what you describe above (undercutting everyone and driving the small businessman out) - so when they don't do that y'all have a problem with it - simply because of WHO it is that they're not doing it to ? Maybe they're trying to turn over a new leaf ?

Maybe that change in behavior ought to be encouraged (not killing off the small business person ....) - rather than castigating them for it.

There is a definite issue presented in the article.

Undoubtedly there is - but I'd guess that we see it slightly differently - you see Walmart as providing preferential treatment to those who are different than you.

I see it as them merely being smart about business and getting their foot in the door in a particular community - one who is probably prone more than most perhaps to be somewhat isolationist.

One thing is for sure - every dollar that gets spent at Walmart is a dollar that probably isn't going to go to a Muslim extremist group. Maybe ya oughta count your blessings ....

My question is this - how many of you who are finding a problem with this, are patronizing the "evil" Walmart - because they are so much cheaper than your local small business person ? Or because it's so convenient to be able to get so much at one stop ?

How many of you are accepting their hospitality by parking in their lots to layover ?

If folks would quit trying to fault David for presentation style and read the content with eyes and mind open they'd see the problem that's clearly there.

My problem isn't with presentation style - it's with what I see as the motivation. And it isn't based on this single post.

However I could be entirely incorrect on my perception of things .... it does happen .... even if rarely.

One last thing, if the point of the original post was pandering to a particular group and preferential treatment then why not just come out and state that plainly - and leave no doubt as to one's thoughts (or motivations) ?

 

[RLENT]

And they're wrong for that, ALSO!

Really ?

Well now ...... that's really novel concept - "Don't bother servicing or catering to the customer base that you are trying to serve and their needs and wants ...." I must missed that one when I was taking business administration in college .....

Tell ya what Hawk why don't you give that one a try and let us know how it actually works out in practice ?

Hey Walmart! Don't go catering to the flavor of the day, then wave the American flag in MY face, thank you!

It appears that some folks here apparently believe that being an "American" means "you gotta be just like "me": ..... look like "me", ...... eat the same stuff as "me", ..... buy exactly what "I" buy, ..... believe in "my" religion - or at least not be too "different" .....

In reality, the exact opposite is in fact is true - being an American means that we are all, by and large DIFFERENT - rather than the same - and to some degree it is those differences that have made us a great nation. (Think about it - what other nations can claim a population as diverse as ours ?)

That and a high degree of tolerance for our fellows who are not exactly the same as us, and the willingness to work together, inspite of our differences, for the common good of all.

 

[LDB]

It would be great if they were turning over a new leaf. In that case I would applaud them. In this case, applying different standards to different groups, I do not applaud them. It has nothing to do with whether someone is different than I am or not. That's ridiculous because everyone is different than I am. Again, rather than reading it with a predisposed bias because of David's posting read it for what it is. It's quite clear when predisposition doesn't enter in.

 

[Tennesseahawk]

This one from FOX news: FOXNews.com - Not Everyone on Campus Agrees with Harvard's Trial Women-Only Gym Hours to Accommodate Muslims - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News

BOSTON — In a test of Harvard's famed open-mindedness, the university has banned men from one of its gyms for a few hours a week to accommodate Muslim women who say it offends their sense of modesty to exercise in front of the opposite sex.

...Student Ola Aljawhary, who is Muslim and works out elsewhere on campus but is not one of the women who requested the change, rejected that argument.

"The majority should be willing to compromise," she said. "I think that's just basic courtesy. We must show tolerance and respect for all others."

=====================================================================

Do you suppose this is another example of satisfying the customers? Or pandering to the demands of minority ethnicity for religious matters? For Harvard, and higher echelon institutions of elitest left indoctrination, this flies in the face of their view of the First Amendment and "separation of church and state".

I don't understand how hard it is to ASSIMILATE, as so many generations before have had to do. Then again, I still can't understand how the elitist European countries are letting a small sect of the world control their policies. Guess the Crusades weren't over yet; and Europe is waving the white flag... as we are in several instances.

It would make my day if I wouldn't have to choose a language or put a check next to my race. I'm AMERICAN! Once, long ago, that meant something.

And as for that student who says we should compromise...
You're here, aren't you???

 

[arkjarhead]

My question is this - how many of you who are finding a problem with this, are patronizing the "evil" Walmart - because they are so much cheaper than your local small business person ? Or because it's so convenient to be able to get so much at one stop ?

How many of you are accepting their hospitality by parking in their lots to layover ?


I have to agree with you there RLENT. I hate Wal-Mart. I used to work at Wal-Mart during my senior year of high school. There were people who worked there and had been there for 20,25,and 30 years. They all said Sam Walton, the company's founder, would be upset to see how his company was being ran. Evidently he didn't believe in running people out of business. Really if you think about it Wal-Mart didn't start getting into the business of shutting everyone else down until Sam was dead and out of the picture. I don't use big chain hardware stores either but that's just me. Pay a little more at the mom and pop place but less of it is imported Chinese crap.

 

[arkjarhead]

Well T-Hawk at least those Muslim girls aren't putting their "goods" out there for everyone to see like most girls are today. I think it's a good idea. Any girl can go in there and work out with out worrying about some guy eyeballing them. I think even a modest non-Muslim girl might feel uncomfortable being stared at by a group of guys while they are trying to work out. I think it's a good idea. My wife says she would prefer a all woman gym time if it was available.

Plus the modesty for religon issue isn't just a Muslim thing. Alot of Pentecostal woman wear only skirts and wouldn't feel comfortable wearing shorts in front of guys. Therefore they can attend the all women hours and feel comfotable. Have you ever heard of the gym called Curves for Women? It's rather popular.

As far as seperation of Church and State goes it doesn't apply here. It would only apply if they said only Muslim women. Being as it's "women only" it's not a religon thing it's a sex thing.

 

[RLENT]

But there are those pesky stereotypes, ya know. And ya just never can be sure WHO is the militant.

Oh .... you mean like Timothy McVeigh ? ........ or Terry Nichols ?

Or maybe Eric Rudolph ? (abortion bomber)

And, as far as the generally insane go:

How about Dylan Kiebold or Eric Harris ? (Columbine)

Perhaps Seung-Hui Cho ? (Virginia Tech)

And then of course there's Joseph Wesbecker (Kentucky man who gunned down 14 in Louisville)

Insanity towards one fellow man is no respecter of race, creed, skin color ..... or much else for that matter.

 

[Tennesseahawk]

Rlent... If you can't see the difference between a few crackpots and an extreme sect of a religion that wants to obliterate all who don't agree with them, then I don't know what else to say.

Ark... if it were a woman thing, I'd have no problem with it. The fact is that if Pentacostal women demanded women only hours, they'd likely have been told to go to Curve's. Notice the article said MUSLIM women were accomodated, not women in general. Also, it's not like Harvard to pizz off feminists. They did that too.

If you still don't agree with me, there's always the prayer room/foot bath at UofM.

 

[RichM]

OK Marketing 101. You tailor your product or products to fit your market. There are many Walmarts in rural areas that have large sections devoted to fishing,hunting,and camping equipment. Other Walmarts in urban arears may only have one or two shelves devoted to this type of merchandise as there is a limited market in their location.

Walmart and others do their demographics and adjust their stores accordingly. The fact that Dearborn has a large percentage of Arabs indicates that there is a market for their desires and Walmart has acted based on that demand. Nothing wrong with that.

You can say the same thing about expediting. Is there a market for expediting in Grand Forks ND, no, so you leave Grand Forks and go where the expediting market hopefully is.

I believe the original nature of this thread was to belittle Walmart as they were catering to a Muslim Market. This is simple bigotry based on an individuals beliefs.

In the past I have worked side by side with individuals from Saudi Arabia and Pakistan that were devout Muslims. They NEVER once indicated that the entity that they considered Allah
told them to kill so called infidels. In fact they never used that term and respected my beliefs.

Rev Dave ,ask yourself Sir,would you give up a trip and drive hundreds of miles to sit with someone who doesn't share your beliefs? Would you sit withan Orthodox Jewish person or a Muslim or a Catholic or a agnostic or atheist. I am not a Bible reader but somewhere in there I believe Jesus said"all are welcome in my temple".

 

[Turtle]

I tried to stay out of this one, I really did. But, I can't.

The problem is not that they cater to a specific group in a specific store. That is marketing 101 for any store anywhere. The problem is pledging to protect the local merchants.

Irony. In this case, with a large, highly concentrated Arabic community, pledging to protect the local merchants is, in fact, exactly the same thing as catering to a specific group in a specific store - Marketing 101 by the book. With most other ethnic groups, and likely in most other communities, it's not that much of an issue. But with Arab communities, it is.

Political correctness has got nothing to do with it. It's all about dollars. If Wal Mart went in and tried to undercut the local Arab merchants, the community at large would see that as Wal Mart is trying to harm the community, and they would absolutely boycott that store. Wal Mart does the same thing to other communities as a matter of course, but few other communities have such a large concentration of a particular ethnic group, or, they do but the community still shops there because cheaper is cheaper and that's all that matters to them.

Wal Mart knows that Arabs will shop in the store, they've hired several local Arabs to work there, and more will follow. While people are shopping there, as a matter of convenience, and knowing that Wal Mart is actually helping their community, they will buy some things that they could get a few cent cheaper at a local mechant. Wal Mart still gets those dollars.

The problem is discrimination.

Yeah, but by whom? The problem is shoot-first and ask questions later knee-jerk reactions like these. You see Arabs and preferential treatment because they are Arabs, but it's preferential because of the culture and it's preferential because it's good business.

Walmart goes after all the mom and pop stores everywhere except for the middle eastern stores.

The middle eastern stores in Dearborn, you mean.

The middle eastern stores in Memphis and in Seattle, Louisville, and all over the place are still up for grabs.


Here's some more food for thought...
Morality is doing what is right no matter what you are told.
Religion is doing what you are told no matter what is right.

 

[RLENT]

They all said Sam Walton, the company's founder, would be upset to see how his company was being ran. Evidently he didn't believe in running people out of business. Really if you think about it Wal-Mart didn't start getting into the business of shutting everyone else down until Sam was dead and out of the picture.

I hear ya Ark - as I mentioned to you privately my wife and her family is from Fort Smith. Her brother and his wife currently live in Springdale.

I recall with fondess spending time with her father - a truely decent Arkie redneck dude - just plain folk - before his passing, fishing up at Lake Fort Smith, near Mountainburg. And going with him a number of times for one thing or another down to "the Walmart" as we worked on various projects around their place.

I also recall him telling me with a great deal of pride about Sam and Walmart - the hometown boy that made good. This was back before they were a totally big deal - I had never heard of them - there were none in Ohio.

Yeah .... I'd guess Sam is probably doing flips in his grave at this point. Probably a real perversion of the founder's actual intentions ..... that seems to happen some ... the original dude departs and those that come after sorta have their own agendas and take on things .....

I don't use big chain hardware stores either but that's just me. Pay a little more at the mom and pop place but less of it is imported Chinese crap.

I try to use our little local hardware store down the street as much as I can - I like having it there - it's handy. Two guys I grew up and went to school with both work there - one lives on our road.

The only point where it becomes really difficult is when a can of paint that would cost me $8 at Lowes or Home Depot is over 3x that at the local place for the same identical thing. I'll patronize them and support the little guy and my neighbors as much as I can - but I won't be robbed either. Still ya can't help but feel some sympathy for them if that's the best they can do.

 

[pjjjjj]

The problem is not that they cater to a specific group in a specific store. That is marketing 101 for any store anywhere. The problem is pledging to protect the local merchants. The problem is discrimination. Walmart goes after all the mom and pop stores everywhere except for the middle eastern stores. For those they pledge to price higher to protect them. Rather than time for Dave to do any reflecting, it's time for everyone else to open their eyes to the inequality of the situation and the discrimination toward one particular group.

I normally like to stay out of such discussions, however, with all due respect, I have to disagree. Don't get me wrong.. personally I hate Walmart and I won't shop there, and don't shop there, and further, I try to educate the people in my life who happen to be Walmart shoppers.
Walmart is in business to make money, like any other business. Perhaps they don't undercut the ethnic group's ma & pa shops becuz the ethnic groups are more loyal to their own, and Walmart is smart enough to know, that should they start undercutting them and putting them out of business, they will have lost most of the ethnic group's business.
Rather than Walmart being accused of discrimination, look to the American/Canadian people themselves for supporting such an enterprise at the expense of their own independents, just to save a buck here and there.
I don't know if more education is needed for Walmart-Shoppers to realize the end result, or if we as a people just don't care, as long as we get to save that five cents on a shirt (or whatever).

 

[LDB]

NEWSFLASH Walmart reverses policy and declares they will undersell all ethnic stores but will not undersell mom and pop American stores!!!

I guess it's still not discrimination, is it?

 

[Turtle]

No, Leo, it's not. Believe it or not, there are some mom and pop stores that are also ethnic stores. There are ethnic stores in other communities, all other communities, in fact, where Wal Mart has stores, and in those communities Wal Mart makes no effort to differentiate between "good ol' American born and bred mom and pop stores" and ethnic stores. Believe it or not, there are actually some mom and pop stores outside of Dearborn owned and operated by Arabs where Wal Mart pays them no attention whatsoever.

This is not an Arab thing, as many so desperately wish it to be. It's a community thing. And in this particular community, if Wal Mart wants to do a profitable business there, they have to operate within the confines of what makes good business sense for that community, good business sense for that Wal Mart store. Wal Mart is a lot of things, but stupid isn't one of them. By not undercutting the local merchants, in that particular community, they will make far more money than if they stuck with the cookie-cutter approach.

 

[mrgoodtude]

Hmmm
I like chickens, goats, pork, Filipinos and Walmart.
Short of eating a Gefelte Fish I feel pretty well rounded..
Go Cubs

Does any body know the correct spelling for Gefelte Fish?

 

[greg334]

God help me.....

I am not in anyway trying to be disrespectful but as someone who knows what seems to be going on, this issue to me is a dead issue - not important issue.

I read the article twice and can’t help that the energy put into this subject can be better put to uncover the real problems.

David, I got to be truthful, I see your passion but I think that it may be better served to get people more motivated to change things and change the way we think than to point out things that really can’t be changed. This country lacks the basics, it lacks cohesion and being one who sees a lot of this rhetoric and inaction from religious groups, I tend to think more of this type of things will go on until we have the needed cohesion as a country.

Also I think that it would be the more Christian thing to do to learn the culture first and see where the correlation is between the two. I know that you may have been exposed to some of it, may be a lot of it – I don’t know but because I read fear in some of these posts and in others places on the internet, I tend to think that many don’t understand why some things are the way they are or care to learn when it comes to how people of other cultures have used our system or what seems to be, taken advantage of things here in the country while most others don’t.

I find that most of the rhetoric coming from the Christian sect is just that, rhetoric and they lack action when action is needed on most issues except one – Abortion. I firmly believe that regardless what the issue is that most are focused on, it is wrong to be involved as Christians but need to be involved as citizens. I know that this is offensive but to me a lack of concern from the Christian mainstream on other Christian’s actions who are extremely offensive and damaging to the country (West Boro Baptist Church). This all shows many that they have blinders on and are zealots.

My point is this; If God blesses this country as many claims he does, than you better protect it and protecting it means being involved as citizens.

If that makes sense, here are some hard realities for some of you.

We don’t use our system of government – read my signature line; it is not all about the Federal level but all levels. When people who are repressed, who have never had a voice come here and see what they can do, what do think will happen – do you honestly think that they will sit on their hands like most of us natural born citizens do? no way. They take advantage of things, like it or not, we are pathetic when it comes down to our civic responsibility.

Another reality is that most new cultures are family centric while we are not. We don’t teach our kids reality; we don’t teach them how to dissimilate information or how to deal with problems – not at all. Our main stream society is a touchy feely let’s not offend anyone and stick them in front of the tv culture. I see that when you complain about people not using English or having their kids not be taught English in school, it is something that goes directly back to the previous point. They used the system, we don’t.

We stand there and cry about things instead of changing things. We as Americans look at the president as the most important thing but who cares, people like Obama and others can talk about change but it only comes from us.

Even though I say that, it comes with a caveat that we are Americans, which mean we are Americans and not a diverse culture. I truly do believe that we must insist on assimilation but not wiping out of cultures as some think must be done in order to be American.

Assimilation is not about a retail store that caters to a specific group or having a community that only speaks a specific language. Hell for that matter many of the poles in Hamtramck didn’t speak any English but they knew how to be Americans and knew how to vote and be active in their community. The same goes for many Germans and Italians among many more. It is all about attitude and being able to support the country.

I am not trying to attack anyone here but some things just don’t make sense, why should we worry about pandering to one group of another by a retailer when at the same time we don’t put efforts into our own community or educating people? We all have bigger things to worry about when it comes to the difference in cultures.

This applies to the Detroit area, so hold on tight…..

As for Wal-mart undercutting, let’s be honest about things here. Kmart does the same thing and so does best buy and most other box stores. Most of what we have left are not ma & pa stores to begin with, many went out because they didn’t have the cash reserves to be in business while we hit hard time in the 90’s, long before Wal-mart hit the city planning committee with their request for permits. This area needs Wal-mart, but does not need Kmart. To me the latter is a real villain and I truly boycott it. When you go to the Livonia Wal-Mart it is like no one has ever been to a store before. They all clamor for a parking spot, some get aggressive and the people in the store are rude and rather unpleasant to deal with. The same goes for Ikea, it is like these people never been shopping before, like they all lived in the Soviet Union and had to stand in line for 4 hours for bread.

 

[RLENT]

Short of eating a Gefelte Fish I feel pretty well rounded.

Yeah, fair enough ..... but "Tude ... what I really wanna know is - where do ya stand on the Haggis thing ?

 

[greg334]

Thanks for that..... Haggis....... oh man I can't eat anything now....

 

[Moot]

In my younger days I was a cook in a Jewish restaurant. This was one of about a dozen restaurants and delis owned by 3 brothers. They had a central commissary that supplied the stores with fresh bagels, onion buns, Sling rolls, Matzo balls and other Kosher Kommodities.

One evening a waitress came to the kitchen announcing that there were no more Matzo balls in the chicken soup. I told her to check the shelves in back for a gallon jar of Matzo balls we kept on hand for back up. She came back with a gallon jar of gefilte fish. At least that's what the label claimed. Could have been brain tissue in formaldehyde from the looks of it. We didn't even have gefilte fish on the menu!

She was adamant about dumping the gefilte fish into the chicken soup. I couldn't stop her. Turned out to be the proverbial "turd in the punch bowl". Had to toss out the chicken soup.

I have never eaten gefilte fish or lutefisK. And that's no lye!

 

[Moot]

Speaking of fish; I have noticed that my local grocery stores have been stocking up on fish during lent. Pandering to Catholics? What's that all about?