Jennifer Lea writes for jlogged.com, and is co-owner of 
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Filing For Divorce
Dear Wal-mart,
I have grudgingly been a customer of yours for years. You have provided me savings, and that is why I kept coming back to spite the anxiety, and guilt I felt every time I gave you money. Those savings come at a cost. I know this. I can’t in good conscience support you anymore. I want a divorce. (even if your organic milk is the cheapest.) Your store is designed to foster waste. You throw out thousands of lbs of good food every week, and your employees look at me like I have three heads when I ask them not to bag my purchases. I can no longer turn a blind eye to the fact that you pay your female employees less than their male counterparts. You make your money by exploiting the poor in my country as well as many, many other countries. I won’t pretend that you aren’t hurting people and the earth just to save a buck anymore. I can’t say that I am a moral person, and support the chain of destruction big box stores, like you, leave in their wake. When I feel weak, and need a reminder of why I should not support you I will think of images like this:
and this:
This:
Yes, I can absolutely live without you.
Truly,
Jennifer
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December 29th, 2008 at 11:25 am
I knew Walmart was evil when I found out their employees are the biggest users of state-sponsored health care insurance here in Utah, and in most states (Medicaid, CHIP.)
Just looked it up and they cost the taxpayers around $1,557,000,000,00 a year in benefits!
Uh, we’re talking about the biggest corporation in the country, and they can’t even provide a decent living for their employees? Which also means other co’s will have to pay their employees less in order to compete?
No one’s prices need to be that low.
December 29th, 2008 at 11:37 am
Staci, you are absolutely right. I know people personally, that worked for WM who were encouraged to apply for state coverage over taking the company insurance. Sick.
December 29th, 2008 at 4:24 pm
One of my teachers in Cosmetology school worked for Wal-Mart and she said they forced all employees to watch videos in the break-room that brainwashed them into not joining the unions that might look out for them…
sad.
December 29th, 2008 at 5:06 pm
WOWZA!!!!
(What about Sams?)
I’m not boycotting Walmart entirely (though I go there as rarely as possible) - however, I am dedicated to more local shopping even if it costs me a few more bucks.
December 29th, 2008 at 7:06 pm
Crystal, I am not surprised.
Well, today I discovered a Cajun butcher (!!!), and haunted the health food store, spent about the same amount I spend a Wal-mart…maybe less actually.
Good question Tracee. My biggest challenge right now is finding affordable produce (in winter,) and I buy certain organic bulk items at Sam’s like lettuce, butter, and carrots; which, as you know, are fresh and cheap there. I am definitely done with wal-mart for good. Sam’s I may have to ween from. Do you know how much toilet paper we go through? It’s all fun and games until I can’t purchase 50 rolls of TP at a time.
December 29th, 2008 at 11:44 pm
I like this idea. I’m trying to support local stores lately but sometimes the convenience of big names wins. :-/
December 30th, 2008 at 3:52 pm
WM is strange- i dont think anyone really works there, but surprisingly every morning the shelves are stocked and changed and the floors are clean. Its weird really.
January 1st, 2009 at 4:21 pm
Ugh. I want to stop shopping there too but I am having a much harder time. It’s close to my house, I can find almost anything in one spot, it’s pretty cheap … but … I do know about other countries and what they support. Way to ruin my day Jen.
January 2nd, 2009 at 10:27 pm
I don’t know about Sam’s Club, but if you have a Costco, they treat their employees very well.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/166680_costco29.html