Posted in Current Events

You have seen a sign or bumber sticker that has made you think.  I know you have.  Sometimes it's a campaign slogan or a quote.  But you read it and you think.  Some signs cause you to chuckle out loud.  Others make you want to black them out.  Still others make you think about things in a way you hadn't before.

This weekend we were out and about picking up a new bat for our duaghter to play softball.  We drove past a smallish store that sells hiking, camping, and generally any outdoor items.  What caught my eye in the store front was a large banner/sign that read:  "Help us stay in business.  Support local businesses.  Don't shop Wal-Mart"

This really caused me think.  Here in Florida, Wally World has begun their new Rx program, offering Rxs at the low price of $4 each.  Mind you not all prescriptions are offered and it is only for generics.  However, upon reading about this program, I thought it was an answer to prayer for not just families without insurance, but elderly citizens who are more likely plagued with many precscriptions each month.  Then I read the sign.

Not having gone into the store, I would think the sold items like lanterns that I have seen at Wal-Mart.  Are they more expensive in the store?  I do not know.  I do know that it's the concept of buying in quantity that allows Wally World to price things lower than small business.  I have read and heard much evidence both for and against the Big W, in regards to its affect on small business. 

We live in a country where monopolies are frowned upon.  Remember the big controversy that caused Ma Bell to break up?  What caused this?  People wanted competitve rates.  They wanted options.  Isn't that what WalMart offers?  If a person wants to one stop shop, it is hard to beat Wal-Mart.  With the rise in gas in the past year, it is hard to tell people to travel to several places to purchase their items.  However, some people still do.

I find it acceptable for the small business to ask people to shop there.  People reading the sign still have a choice.  They can still choose Walmart, if that is what they feel is best.  Others still choose to go with local businesses, and that is still our right.  While I am not a big supporter of WalMart in their practices or as a customer, I still choose to go there on occaision for convenience or for price. 

We need to remember that while we may not always agree with certain business practices, we live in a country that gives us the right to choose.  I think that is a wonderful gift from God!

These are my thoughts.