The Wal-Mart Problem

Imprint, your arrogance is as unearned as it is unattractive. Why don't you go pull the wings off some flies and stop interrupting adult conversations?

Amazingly, if Wal-Mart were a country it would be China's seventh-largest export market, ahead of Germany and Great Britain

Walmart

[wolf]

Originally Posted by marichiko

Imprint, your arrogance is as unearned as it is unattractive. Why don't you go pull the wings off some flies and stop interrupting adult conversations?

Pot calling the Kettle black again, I see.

Originally Posted by wolf

Pot calling the Kettle black again, I see.

A little bitter, are we, Wolf? That's what you get for not reading the posts properly.

[richlevy]

On that note I went to a DELARC meeting on Wed night. DELARC is a countywide association of parents with disabled children. There were about 20 parents there discussing young adults with varying degrees of physical and/or mental disability. Many of them have been unemployed since graduation.

The talk centered around the different types of jobs. 'Real world' jobs, sheltered employment, volunteer work, and jobs just to give them a sense of accomplishment.

Jeffrey and another young adult were the only people there with disabilities. The rest of the audience was parents and a few siblings. Some of these parent's children are so disabled that getting them there would require an effort. It was just as well since 20 people were packed into a conference room that could fit 10.

The fact is that the supermarket, convenience store, and dry goods chains are hiring disabled where small businesses will not. Maybe some of them are just doing it for PR, but at least they are doing it. Jeffrey has one advantage over a 'normal' adult. He does not get bored with the tasks he is given. Even at home he insists on cleaning and vacuuming his room, which is a huge difference from his brother.

Personally, I don't like the word 'retard'. It is a pejorative and if one is really talking about retarded individuals, it implies that one is blaming them for being retarded.

I'm even a little uncomfortable making 'retarded' jokes about others, although I can do so if I really want to.

Example:
Why does President Bush ride to work in a limousine?
Because the Secret Service couldn't figure out how to armor plate a short bus.

No hard feelings, that's just how I see things.

[Aliantha]

Perhaps in some alternate universe, there are stores like Walmart who only employ 16yr olds paying off their first car, but I think in todays society, in the universe we currently inhabit, the requirement for people of mature age to hold jobs in stores like these, is becomming more prevalent.

Not everyone has the same opportunities in life and therefore the outcomes of every individual are going to be different. Why should anyone feel the need to persecute any store or any other business even, for employing older people? Would you rather have that older person, who for whatever reason finds themselves working at Walmart; be on unemployment benefits instead?

I guess the system is different here, but it's becomming more and more like that of the US every day (much in part due to our current government), so I think it's important to consider that it's better to have people employed and be glad that they are, rather than tell them to be ashamed because they didn't make the choices you think they should have as a youth.

I think there are a lot more issues which have been stated previously in this thread which are far more valid to this argument.

[wolf]

One of the unique things about Walmart is that they will employ everybody, regardless of age ... from 16 year old stockers, to that cranky little old lady greeter with osteoporosis who shoves carts at me when I enter the store. They are pretty diverse in terms of demographic, as far as I can tell.

They do seem to be a little light on retards, but perhaps locally we have enough supermarkets and McDonalds.

[Aliantha]

Do you mean that you think people who work at McDonalds or local supermarkets are retards? BTW...how do you define retard?

[wolf]

Person with an IQ below 70. Technical definition. It's almost a cliche here in the U.S. that those two types of businesses always hire persons with developmental disabilties. I actually think it's a very good thing.

[BigV]

Originally Posted by wolf

Person with an IQ below 70. Technical definition. It's almost a cliche here in the U.S. that those two types of businesses always hire persons with developmental disabilties. I actually think it's a very good thing.

Generally speaking, I agree. I think it's been a mistake to put them in charge of the Human Resources department, though.

[Aliantha]

Do they do that on purpose? That is, do they recognize these deficiencies, or is 'retard' just the lable given to people with less than average IQ? Meaning, is it a derogatory term?

It's not the same here. Most of the people employed by McDonalds ARE in fact junior wage earners and generally of at least average intelligence.

[wolf]

To refer to the mentally retarded as "retards" is generally pejorative. To do so fit the tone of my post.

What you are saying of McDonalds is indeed true here in the United States. Fast-food is very often a first job for folks with no experience who are still in high school. You need to be a little sharper on the uptake to work the fryer. As a means of confidence building and mainstreaming for the individuals, and as a big public relations move for the employer, the mentally retarded are often hired by such organizations. They even have very nice television commercials to highlight this that bring a tear to your eye.

[Aliantha]

How admirable of McDonalds.

We don't have those sort of ads here for McDonalds. They do have this one where little people pop out of the stomachs of big people and go get them Macca's for lunch and bring it back. Very cute...with a lovely jingle too.

[wolf]

You've noticed that too, eh?

[BigV]