Walmart cannot be faulted for legal activities such as paying low wages, selling guns and alcohol and stocking its shelves with low quality merchandise. What it should be faulted for are its illegal practices such as forcing employees to work off the clock without pay, union busting activites, and practices that push employees onto various public assistance programs as a way to subsidize themselves at taxpayer expense and most likely bribing public officials to facilitate their criminal activities. Even here, the greater share of the blame must go to the aforesaid public officials, starting at the top with that nit wit occupying the white house, government agencies that are supposed to stop such goings on, and and public prosecutors who pretend not to know what's going on, and local officials who are on the take. Fortuanately for me, I am not poor and do not have to shop at or work at Walmart (or the numerous other companies like Walmart who exploit the poor and powerless disadvantaged masses. My only feelings on the matter are compassion for the victims, and fear that my affluent children and grandchildren will be victims of the retribution that will be inspired by corrupt and greedy government and business. "Let them eat cake" is an amusing but foolhardy witticism that killed many even if it was anti-royalist propaganda. It partly led to Napoleon who was responsible for the deaths of millions of the French and other people of Europe. An excessively large gap in living standards between the rich and the poor has destroyed great nations before, and it will again. In this age of widespread communications, that gap becomes dangerously visible.

I agree with most of the comments made regrding Wal Mart and its operations. However, their management can only be falted for any actions they have taken that may be illegal. The fact that they may pay minimum wage is not germane. We all have the option of working for it or not. I do think that the minimum wage is too low and should be raised but with the Bush administration and the Congress this is difficult to do. When labor is oppressed to the point that their treatment is grously unfair, unions will come in. We don't need change in eliminating competition such as the Wall Marts. We need new government that will strive for a more equitable distribution of our nation's wealth. The Bush administration has given most of our nation's wealth to a small percentage of our population; those who can do the most to support him (corporate management), and his crooked administration. We are fast approaching a revolt by the middle and lower classes of our nation. Our government is driving the people to this solution to the problem. I feel concern for our people and our country.

I don't think people blame you Tina, but the response "It's my job" is not sufficient to overlook the practices of wally world. I too must feed the kids, etc.. I don't think you are a loser, just being taking advantage of by wally world. If people shop locally then local jobs will survive and hopefully you can move to a job that offers more profit sharing to everyone in the organization. Walmart exemplifies the current trend in America for the Rich to get every benefit in society off the backs of the once middle class that is now forced to live pay check to pay check on 2 salaries. It is hard for remember the time when 1 income could support a family with medical care, vacations and the real thought of retirement. My dad retired at 63. Do you think there is a chance you can retire, send you kids to college, vacation, etc.. while working at walmart?

I just so happen to work for Walmart. I am just a sales associate. I have heard more people in the past two weeks say that I am putting people out of work and destroying lives. I am here to let you know that if you don't shop at walmart you will put a lot of people out of jobs. I am one of those people. I did not do anything to the other bussinesses. I am just trying to make a living for my family. I am paying my bills and I am not on aid of any kind, because walmart has given me a job. Not the best job but it pays the bills.
You blame me for all that the corporation dose to people but I am working and putting my pay check into the community. I am not living off of you, the taxpayer, I am paying taxes. I am not to blame for the corporate dicisions the company makes.
The next time you think I am a loser for working for Walmart think about the guy who won't work because him is living off the system that I help to pay for. I don't hear people saying he is a loser. Is this fair to me.
Think before you condem.

What Walmart corporate is doing is called "turning a blind eye" - they feign ignorance of their manager's violating labor laws, union busting, false designation of origin of goods, etc. "Turning a blind eye" to subordinate's illegal behavior is sufficient to attach liability to the corporation, but it's a hard evidentiary battle to prove it, because the corporation purposely does not put their policies into writing. When you think about it, Walmart's position is ludicrous. If it ever came up in a case, Walmart would say the manager was acting outside the scope of this duties... but that's crazy, because doesn't Walmart have a duty to have managers who watch the managers? Walmart Corporation does have rules and procedures in place, unspoken rules that anyone who doesn't go along with the institutional illegality will be promptly sacked, and this keeps the mouths of the other managers tightly sealed. This is corporate criminality at its' finest, a system of indentured servitude and this guy, this walmart manager, is one of the crowd of overseers for his Master, holding the whip over the slaves, and turning them out to die when he can't get any more good out of them. Good for him for speaking up. Shame on him for not speaking up when he could have done some good to stop these criminals. Walmart has destroyed your communites. I will never shop in any big-box retailer... boycott them all, and here is why: When you shop at a local retailer, he puts the money in his local bank, where it's then lent out to you for your house, your car, your farm... it adds value to your local community, and to you. When you shop at Walmart, a tiny amount of money is paid to minimum wage employees, who might put a little back in your local economny, but the vast majority of the money is shipped out to a global corporate bank, and it never comes back to your locality. So when you see your downtown local merchants closing up their stores, BECAUSE you think you're getting a bargain at Wal-mart, YOU ARE WRONG - you are paying a very high price in destroying your way of life, losing local capital, which then closes your local banks, which leads to higher unemployment, crime, and urban blight. Screw Wal-mart before Wal-mart screws you.

Wow. This man's story matches my brothers, who also works at Walmart. How many others need "out" this company to create some change?
Will it be too late? Perhaps it already is.