Today Wal Mart said they stop trying to build a new facility on a battleground in Orange County,Virginia. One spokesman quoted Sam as saying he "... would never put a Wal Mart where it was not wanted." Oh really? I can believe that, but... this particular "battleground" has been in Wal Mart's sights for a couple years now!
Now Sam's been dead for quite a few years now. Obviously much of what Wal Mart stood for, during Sam's tenure, has changed. But this statement would indicate that Sam's good intentions, which were legendary, are only invoked when Wal Mart is trying to save face. As time goes on, and the number of people who ever knew or heard of Sam Walton is declining, so corporate won't have to use his extraordinary and insightful values as a reason to do what they do or don't do.
The biggest winners are the preservationists, but the biggest loser is the person who owned the property and wanted to sell it. They probably wish they'd never heard of Sam. Unfortunately they probably can't get the government, or the preservationists, to buy it as a national landmark. Wal Mart could buy it, and donate it as the hallowed ground it should become, but...
RIP Sam...you won one and you lost one on this... Day 78!
Now Sam's been dead for quite a few years now. Obviously much of what Wal Mart stood for, during Sam's tenure, has changed. But this statement would indicate that Sam's good intentions, which were legendary, are only invoked when Wal Mart is trying to save face. As time goes on, and the number of people who ever knew or heard of Sam Walton is declining, so corporate won't have to use his extraordinary and insightful values as a reason to do what they do or don't do.
The biggest winners are the preservationists, but the biggest loser is the person who owned the property and wanted to sell it. They probably wish they'd never heard of Sam. Unfortunately they probably can't get the government, or the preservationists, to buy it as a national landmark. Wal Mart could buy it, and donate it as the hallowed ground it should become, but...
RIP Sam...you won one and you lost one on this... Day 78!
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