Sixty-five religious leaders have joined union activists in asserting that the nation's largest retail chain should "change for the better" this holiday season, a move one union watchdog called a "cynical ploy" intended to "tarnish Wal-Mart's name in time for Christmas."
Leaders of faith representing over 1.3 million Americans (not me!!!) have joined a group sponsored by the United Food and Commercial Workers union in a nationwide initiative to call on America's largest employer and its CEO, Leo Scott, to "change for the better" this holiday season, according to Paul Blank, campaign director for WakeUpWalMart.com.
As part of this effort, the leaders from a variety of religions signed a joint letter (First one to sign was Jesse Jackson) to Scott that stated: "The holiday season is a time to honor and remember the virtues of hope, love, joy, sharing, sacrifice and faith."During this holy season, we must ask ourselves - at what moral price do we accept the sins of exploitation and greed? Sins, it is sad to say, which are exemplified by one of America's largest and richest corporations, Wal-Mart."
The letter then accused the company of taking part in such "immoral business practices" as exploiting its workers and suppliers by paying employees poverty-level wages, breaking child labor laws and providing poor health care coverage for workers and their families."It is hard to imagine why Wal-Mart would consciously choose to make 1.3 million workers suffer in the name of 'low prices,' a suffering we can no longer let stand," the religious leaders added.
WAIT A SECOND! None of these people are slaves. You take or leave the job and the pay package offered. If Wal-Mart is so bad, then why do 1.3 million people choose to work there?
The group then invoked the Christmas season by stating that "Jesus would not embrace Wal-Mart's values of greed and profits at any cost, particularly when children suffer as a result of those misguided values."Those of us who are Jewish, Muslim or Buddhist also have scriptures that remind us that God is just and God's servants must practice justice in all of our words and deeds," the letter continued."As we prepare to celebrate our own holiday traditions, we also ask ourselves: Is it right to shop at Wal-Mart? Would our God want us to support Wal-Mart's values and actions with our dollars?"It is within your power to become a truly responsible, ethical and righteous company," the letter concluded. "In the end, there is no better present Wal-Mart could give to its workers, their families and America than to change for the better this holiday season."
So no matter what faith you have, your God would side with the unions. Forget that God has blessed Wal-Mart with fantastic growth and provided 1.3 million people with jobs.
In addition, WakeUpWalMart.com is airing a 30-second TV advertisement in six southern states to highlight the corporation's moral failures and raise the question "Should People of Faith Shop at Wal-Mart?" this holiday season."It is our sincere hope Wal-Mart will choose the higher road and become a moral example that all people of faith can embrace proudly," Blank said.The corporation reacted swiftly to the charges."Surely, many Americans are deeply offended that union leadership would use religion as just another tactic in the negative attack campaign they're waging against a company that donates more money to good works than any other company in America," Wal-Mart spokesman Dan Fogleman
Shop or don't shop at Wal-Mart. But don't use God and my faith to guilt me in to supporting your cause.
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