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Alice R
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I shop at Wal-Mart. I pretty much shop wherever I can get a good deal, to be perfectly honest.
I am not happy about this morning after pill horror. Now it is over the counter at Walmart and probably everywhere else...that is probably a different post though. 
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momwise
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Bookswithtea wrote:
Well, I didn't know about the morning after pill issue.  Does anyone know if Target sells this as well? |
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I can't imagine any place that won't stock them. Unless you count the courageous Catholic pharmicists who will probably be forced by the state to carry it.
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Dawn
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We don't shop at Wal-mart in part because of their labor practices and in part because the one in our area is dingy and horrible. 
That said, I do shop at Target, and to be fair, I haven't looked into their labor practices. 
What kinds of products do you find you need to shop for at Wal-mart? I do most of my shopping at the grocery store, craft stores, bookstore (B&N) and Target.
ETA - We also patronize our small Ace hardware store down the street and when I need bird seed I try to go to the local Wild Birds Unlimited (run by the nicest family) rather than Petsmart. Their prices (for seed) may be a bit more but the seed is a much higher quality.
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Christine
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Somehow, I forgot about the morning after pill issue.  I only go to Walmart for one thing: fish for the bottom of our children's bathtub.  Our children's bath is extremely slippery and Walmart is the only place that we found fish (or anything) to stick to the bottom of the tub to prevent children from slipping.
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Martha
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| Posted: Aug 25 2006 at 9:48am | IP Logged
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MicheleQ wrote:
Say a book retails for $20 and Amazon buys it wholesale for $10 and they sell it for $12. True they haven't made a big profit but they work off of volume. Smaller booksellers can't afford to do that (and they won't get the wholesale deal that Amazon does anyway) so they have to sell it at a higher price. Most people will choose the cheapest price.
Genrally speaking unless you write a bestseller there's not a huge amount of money in books. There are exceptions of course and if you are both the writer, publisher and the retailer (as I am) you get the most for your efforts. it's more work but better profit as well.
Make sense? |
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hmm, okay. I see how buying wholesale would sell cheaper than the local shop that can't buy wholesale. That's the deal the publisher cuts.
but how does that hurt the writer?? Does the publisher pay the writer less if a book is sold wholesale than at retail? For example, a publisher may sell wholesale, but they still shouldn't be selling below their own cost of publication, which includes the writer being paid?
And yes, I can completely understand it always save money to cut middle men and self-publish and sell.
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momwats8
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Target has their own sets of issues. Last year they would not allow Salvation Army to collect at their stores. This year they are refusing to donate to help veterans. They are a large American company - 6th largest chain in the U.S. - and yet do not wish to seem to support certain "issues". I think it is sad but when you have big chains like this and they offer things for less we shop there. I have a super tight budget. It is hard to shop places like Publix - a local grocery store. It is sooo expensive!!!
I added this so you can see how Target refuses to support certain groups also. Big chains are just hard to live with and are hard to live without....
Subject: Vietnam Veterans
Vietnam Veterans Not Worthy Of Target's Help?
By Dick Forrey
We asked our local Target store to be a sponsor of the Wall during our spring event. We received back a reply that Veterans do not meet their area of giving. They only donate to area of arts, social actions and education's. If the Vietnam Veterans Memorial does not meet those areas something is wrong at Target stores.
I E-mailed the corporation and they said the same thing. I will not be buying anything at Target Stores again. If the Vietnam Veteran does not meet their area of giving then why should Vietnam Veterans spend their hard earned money there?
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Martha
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momwats8 wrote:
Target has their own sets of issues. Last year they would not allow Salvation Army to collect at their stores. This year they are refusing to donate to help veterans.
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Actually, I have no problem with this and it seems a case of sour grapes to me.
The salvation army was no longer offered the locations because Target had a long held policy of not allowing on-site solicitation of customers by anyone. All target did was decide to not make an exception for the Salvation Army. Target continued private donations and a link to donate a percetnage of purchases made at their online site. (I'd have to see about the later now, but that was the case at the time.)
Target is under no obligation to give to ANY charity and it is perfectly reasonable to me that they would limit their focus to giving to certain causes.
There is nothing wrong with this. Most people have issues they prefer to donate towards and it stands to reason that companies would too. It doesn't make those other chairites less important, it just means that the person/company has a stronger interest in a different area.
Personally, I never give to any charity that isn't catholic and if I had a business, I'd do the same with it. I'm sure there are other charities with worthy and good causes, but I prefer to focus resources to certain causes that are dear to me. I can't imagine someone comming to my door and asking for a donation, then goigntot he news media and saying I must not care about ___ because I said I donated elsewhere instead.
Just another perspective... 
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momwats8
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I guess what I am getting at is Target and Super Target are the same ball of wax so to speak. They are the 6th largest chain in the United States. They take over as much business as I ma sure Walmart does they just try to do it more quietly. So I am trying to show that Target is not that different and also has issues to deal with. If you do not shop at Walmart but would shop at Target - why? They are both very large chian stores. That is all I was trying to do - help to show the comparison. Also - remember I do shop at both which I have said already.
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lapazfarm
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Yes, Martha, I agree. We cannot expect companies to donate to EVERY worthy cause--there are so many!
But the other point is that every company has it's issues. Whether it is Walmart, Amazon, Target, whatever.
We do what we can, and, like Target, choose our causes. Some may avoid Walmart because of Plan B because that is what is important to them, some because of supporting local businesses. Some may avoid Target due to Vietnam vets issues, and some may support it due to their strong ties to educational causes.
I think the benefit of discussions like this is that it helps us to think about our spending habits, our values, and our decision-making processes about where we shop. Just like with our children's education, our choices are all going to be different, but the thing to note is that we are all trying to do the best we can. And that is the good stewardship we are called to.
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Sarah
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momwats8 wrote:
| If you do not shop at Walmart but would shop at Target - why? |
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Mary is right (and keep in mind I shop reluctantly at all these chains as well, so I'm not trying to condemn anyone--just join in a friendly discussion). 
If we are wanting to avoid the large chains from taking all the profit from the "little man" then we can't justify Target, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Joanne, Walmart, Lowes, Home Depot, Etc. (all of which I am a regular patron).
If your issues for these are other issues (pills, labor, non-Christian, etc). Then that's different.
What IS the real issue of the discussion because it has gone from Amazon hurting the authors to ethical issues of Wal-Mart's Pharmacy.
I'm trying to decide what to do here in my town because I have a mom & pop alternatives to all I've listed, but I will also pay dearly in price. Maybe I need to evaluate what I'm buying and see if its necessary.
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Martha
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Oh.. I didn't mean to seem attacking or anything, just joining the discussion. Sorry if it came across that way towards momwats8. When I said "sour grapes" I didn't mean her, I meant those charities.
I find some of the points raised interesting. I heard someone complain that places like walmart don't pay a living wage. Well that's not a walmart problem, that's a retail problem in general. I've never met a cashier in any store that made a true living wage or had decent benefits.
And walmart isn't the only store that's going to carry the morning after pill. And why would I not shop at a store that does and still shop at a store that sells regular birth control or even condoms? The morning after pill is the exact same drug, just a higher dose. We get our rx by mail order and they offer LOTS of things that I don't agree with, but my dh would drop dead without the diabetes equipment that they are the only makers of.
I don't know... We all have different abilities and desires to make change, or at least to take a stand, and have to make what we do based on that.
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Christine
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I did not shop at Target until Life Decisions International, in cooperation with some others, convinced them to stop donating to Planned Parenthood.
In 2005, the courts heard the case Target v. Planned Parenthood. The latter organization was trying to force Target to require their pharmacists to fill morning after prescriptions. Target said that they would not do so, as they respected their pharmacists' religious beliefs. I never looked in to the final outcome of the case, but I know that it is important. Right now, the organizations that support the Culture of Death in Washington state are trying to force pharmacists, regardless of their consciences and religious beliefs, to fill these baby killing prescriptions.
I applaud Target for taking a stance and support them for it. I do wish that they would not sell the morning after pill, condoms, etc. I pray that in time this will be the case.
I think it is time for this mother, who does not have any known Mom and Pop stores with whom Target competes in her city, to step down from her soap box.
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momwats8
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I just want to say that I love this discussion!! It has given me soo much to think about and I think all of you are wonderful. We challenge each other to be the best we can and at the same time have love and respect for each other. Thanks for this topic
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Martha
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awww Mary! I feel the same way.
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Bookswithtea
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I think Theresa is right...it depends on what issues you feel convicted about.
For instance, I feel terribly convicted about the living wage issue after discovering that many if not most Wal*Mart workers are forced to get WIC, Medicaid, etc because the benefits offered are miserable and they aren't paid enough to even pay the deductibles for their children. And they have been sued countless times in countless states for not paying people overtime that was legitimately earned...even sneaking into the computers after hours to take people's overtime hours off the record! I have been shopping at Sam's Club for the past year.
I know from living in a big city that Costco has a reputation as a *great* place to work, where the wage is higher than average and the benefits are decent (scoring a job at Costco when we were in college was considered a major blessing). So even though both are big boxes, I'd rather give my money to Costco than to Sam's Club, at this point. My membership is going to expire with Sam's and I will not be renewing.
Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but Wal*Mart seems to be targeting small towns. When we crossed the country on a southern interstate, I couldn't believe how many small towns we passed that had Wal*Marts. The only Targets I have personally seen are in suburban areas that can handle the competition. That kind of thing matters to me.
If I tried to boycott every store that sold contraceptives, either OTC or by prescription, I'd have nowhere left to purchase anything...even my gas station would be suspect!
The other issue I'm sensitive to is that of taking advantage of poor, overworked Chinese or third world women so that my t-shirts can be under $10. But doesn't it seem like almost everything is made overseas at this point? I don't even know where to begin on this one. Its not always easy to even find clothes that are American Made.
I guess all we can do is do the best we can and when new information presents itself, then we can pray about acting on it???
Thank you all for sharing your thoughts on this. Its helped me a lot!
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mothering ds'93 dd'97 dd'99 dd'02 ds'05 ds'07 and due 9/10
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Alice R
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To be honest, I kinda gave up.
It feels like every time I turn around there is a company, group, radio station, restaraunt, Tv station, store, company or otherwise that supports the most vile things. Or simply things that I do not agree with.
I don't know where to shop or what to watch on TV or what music you can buy or anything. It is very very frustrating.
Like I said, I kinda gave up. I just shop where I get what I need and move on.
Blessings,
ALice
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Bookswithtea
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Alice R wrote:
To be honest, I kinda gave up.
It feels like every time I turn around there is a company, group, radio station, restaraunt, Tv station, store, company or otherwise that supports the most vile things. Or simply things that I do not agree with.
I don't know where to shop or what to watch on TV or what music you can buy or anything. It is very very frustrating.
Like I said, I kinda gave up. I just shop where I get |
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I really can relate to this. I confess this is where I've ended up on the whole health foods issue. After years of reading and trying to do my best, I am completely flummoxed. In the early 90's, protein was evil and vegetarian was in, the more raw the better. Now high protein meals are good and I'm supposed to be cooking my nuts and eating organ meats? One year soy is good for me, the next its going to cause uterine cancer. One brand of canned tomatoes is supposed to be good, but wait! Are their cans coated so that no aluminum leaches into them? What if the peanut butter is not totally fresh...even organic peanut butter at a premium price can be rancid.
I finally decided that whole foods are always a good bet, fresh is better than canned, and that a diet high in fruits and veggies is good. White flour and sugar are to be avoided when possible. When I can get the freshest and organic at a reasonable price, I do. Other than that, I can't deal with the details. I hate feeling like I am analyzing every meal on my table!
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shartlesville
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Concerning Wal-Mart and the "living wage"...
My daughter Elizabeth works at Wal-Mart and they certainly pay better than any of the fast-food or other places.
She started working there last summer making more than $7 per hour. She worked there for about 6 months, then took nearly 5 months leave (during which they held her job), she just started back and is already making more than $8 per hour.
That is about what you can expect to be paid without a college education or many years of experience in a special field.
I have two business college diplomas (Accounting & Bookkeeping) and when I worked as an assistant manager at a McDonalds in PA I only made $10 per hour. Here in NM they only pay assitant managers $7 per hour! 
As for WIC, my husband and I qualified for WIC until he received his latest promotion. We made more than $50,000 per year but we have a large family. All of my children have been in the WIC program at one time or another whether we were in the military or private sector. WIC has higher income guidelines than most other government programs.
And about insurance... Neither fast food nor most "mom and pop" places offer any type of insurance to anyone other than management and even then it is a joke. 
I do shop at Wal-Mart, mostly because we have had a VERY tight budget. Now that we will be debt free except for the new house (THANK YOU, GOD!  ) we will spend more at smaller, local stores because we can afford it.
This is actually something I had been thinking about recently. Wal-Mart will match the low priced sale items from the other stores, which is great in the short term. I can get everything I need in one location and get the best price. The problem is if I don't go to the local stores for even the sale items eventually the small stores will be gone and there will be no competition. Then all the prices will go up because they will have no reason to keep them low.
There are lots of reasons why some people shop somewhere or don't shop somewhere but as long as we are well informed we can make the decision that is right for us and our community.
Blessings,
Krisann
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MicheleQ
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Wow you all have been chatty today. I just got home from an all day RCIA catechist training and found the following in my inbox:
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Hello,
I want to get the word out about Wal-Mart's "Domestic Partner". I think we need to make everyone who is interested in preserving the sanctity of marraige aware of this, and ask them to please email Wal Mart and voice their opinions. I would even go so far as to say boycott of Wal Mart is in order. I will not be shopping there anymore until this action is reversed! I am not interested in saving a few dollars to support the degradation of marraige and family. Please read the article and take action!
Wal-mart's Odd Domestic Partners
by: Tony Perkins
Wal-Mart has announced an odd new domestic "partnership." They have teamed up with an outfit called the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. Wal-Mart has caved in, obviously, to the pressure tactics such groups apply to large corporations.
This is outrageous. Wal-Mart has made its billions by serving the needs of rural communities throughout America. It has never discriminated against homosexuals who want to purchase their products at low prices. Nor has it discriminated in hiring against homosexuals. But that is not enough. The homosexual lobby demands that Wal-Mart grovel. They demand that Wal-Mart take sides in the great cultural clash over marriage.
Won't you please join me in opposing this offensive move? You can download and print the accompanying pdf file and drop it off at the Customer Service Desk at your nearest Wal-Mart. You don't need to confront anyone. Let them know you know what they're up to-and you don't appreciate it.
This is the address for the flyer: http://downloads.frc.org/EF/EF06H39.pdf
PLEASE get the word out on this. If we could make the American Girl Doll company rethink their associations, we can make a difference here as well! And please send an email to Wal Mart's corporate office and let them know as a patron, you do not support this move!
Sincerely,
Marybeth Slocumb
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God bless!
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Michele Quigley
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Christine
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Thank you, Michele. I will try to help get the word out. We will not be shopping at Walmart.
While we cannot boycott everything, I do believe that when there is an organized boycott, such as the one mentioned by Michele above and those headed by Life Decisions International (they usually focus their efforts on one business at a time), my conscience tells me that we should participate.
My husband and I are looking for a 12 seater van. We will not be purchasing from Ford because Focus on the Family is asking that people boycott them for the same reasons as we are being asked to boycott Walmart. I believe that both of these boycotts are worthwhile organized boycotts.
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Christine
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4Real Forums : Tea and Conversation
Topic: Wal*Mart and the ethics of shopping
