Walmart doesn't kill small bus. people do

We try to abstain from this retailer. For the last few years dh and I have waged a verbal attack on Walmart. We rant about how their employees are mistreated, American businesses are being shut down and small businesses are folding. I really started thinking of Walmart as the gun we are using to kill our economy. As a conservative, I feel it's important to point out that guns don't kill people, people do... Thus Walmart doesn't kill small business, the people that shop there do. I promise this is not a rant with the purpose of dredging Wallies through the mud... I am only going to take issue with a few of the methods of business of not just Walmart but basically any large corporate store.

First I think of companies like Mr. Coffee or Rubbermaid. Rubbermaid worked hard to secure a Walmart contract. Once they did they were ecstatic. They built new factories and increased labor to meet this new demand. Then Walmart required that they almost half their price on containers so that they could offer it at the cheapest possible price. Rubbermaid couldn't afford to do that here in the states. Here they have to offer benefits like health insurance, safe working environment, and a real living wage. They contracted outside of the US, with China, I believe. They could then lower their prices to an acceptable level to continue the high demand. It seems Walmart isn't satisfied treating just their own workers poorly, they would prefer that all of their suppliers do so as well.

So why do folks shop there? Well mainly to get more stuff. I think people would like to believe that they shop there because they have to do so. I have people tell me they have to shop at Walmart because it's all they can afford. By all they can afford means stuffing their homes with tons of clutter and misc comfort items. Sure I can afford to go to Walmart and drop a hundred dollars on Christmas toys to fill our rec room... Or I could go to a small toy store and support an actual person and give my child one or two high quality items that will last a lifetime. It's my opinion that the second option is the better of the two. I guess the point is less really is more... Or even better but much more uncomfortable thought is that when shopping at Walmart take a look in the cart... all of the items made in questionable labor locales.. ask yourself is this $2.00 savings worth my aiding in the exploitation of a person, possibly a child? Your finger is on the trigger...

Ok so this turned a little ranty... and has gotten a bit long. I'll stop while I'm ahead but will return later with more info, less rant. Happy Holidays!