States and the Battle Over Emergency Contraception

I usually make an attempt to see both sides of an issue, but this one has be baffled. 

How can anyone honestly say that they have a right to force someone, using the backing of the state, to sell them something that that person morally objects to selling?  This is an item that some people’s conscience tells them that selling the product facilitates people to live immoral lifestyles.  I don’t see how this is any different from forcing a grocer to sell alcohol, tobacco, or lottery tickets.

Another example:  One might object if Wal-Mart stopped selling condoms, but do they have some right to force them to restock condoms?

It is fairly disheartening to see Wal-Mart continue it’s trend of caving in in the face of the slightest pressure.

It is fairly disheartening to see Wal-Mart continue it’s trend of caving in in the face of the slightest pressure.

I take it as yet another indication of the abject disarray in Bentonville. Wal-Mart has not only lost it’s moral compass (if it ever had one) but it’s merchandising compass as well.

How can Wal-Mart turn things around? First, it has to acknowledge that the wheels have fallen off the Bentonville Bus. Then it has to bring in some savvy merchants from the outside and give them a real chance to improve the quality of the stores—the atmosphere, the merchandise, the service, everything—without raising prices. ~ Jim Cramer

Apparently WMW is running out of legitimate complaints against WM.  This is typical of union rants.  No matter which position WM takes, this site will be against it. 

If they force the employees to dispense the drugs, they are taking positions against their own employees.

If they allow the employees to use their own discretion, they are talking positions against the customers.

Just for once I would like to see WMW actually take a position and stick with it.

As for as Ken’s rant about WM losing it’s moral compass, I would question Ken’s moral compass for the same reason I criticized WMW.  Ken is gainst WM no matter what they do.  Any reader with the least bit of sense will realize this and disregard his posts.

Ken V from Texas: yes the wheels have fallen off the Bentonville Bus, but don’t expect them to acknowledge it anytime soon.
By the way, your posts are great, but don’t expect to convince Wal-Mart supporters about how bad THE BEAST OF BENTONVILLE REALLY IS. They fall into 3 categories. They either 1) don’t believe a word of it. 2) don’t care and will continue to shop their anyway or 3) are just not interested. But it’s like my mother once said: “Nobody gets this big without having some problems.” And Wal-Mart certainly has had its share of problems, hasn’t it?

Big Charlie,

While I don’t claim to be an expert on contraceptives as they relate to women’s rights this one can go straight to the “damned if they do/damned if they don’t” file.

If WM offers “Plan B” a significant section of America would label them as “baby killers”, much like the anti-abortion movement, and put a dent in sales.

If WM didn’t offer “Plan B”, a significant section of America would label them as not doing the right thing by the female population, and put a dent in sales.

As for WMW, WM could’ve invented “Plan B” (or a cure for the common cold), and the anti-WM crowd would still manage to find fault with it—that’s the nature of the “true” beast (sorry, KenV).

My advice to Bentonville is to do your research, find a side that fits best, stick with it, and don’t back-paddle—we can’t be everything to everyone.

JB

My advice to Bentonville is to do your research, find a side that fits best, stick with it, and don’t back-paddle—we can’t be everything to everyone.

That’s the best advice I’ve ever heard you give, Jim!

Without leadership, the Beast of Bentonville is condemned to ineffectual vacillations.

(Thank you, Jane.)

Ken V,

“Without leadership, the Beast of Bentonville is condemned to ineffectual vacillations.”

But, without vacillations, WMW would shout loudly, “Wal-Mart is too stubborn to change their ‘evil’ ways”.  Another damned if you do and damned if you don’t situation.

Another damned if you do and damned if you don’t situation. Bob

I’ll put this one in the “damned if they do/damned if they don’t” file. Jim Bunch

No matter which position WM takes, this site will be against it. Big Charlie

Is it just me, or do those quotes read like whining?

Ken,

Call it what you will (I prefer to call mine and Bob’s staements “facts”, while NY Jane’s post was completely off-course, and just taking her occassional swipe at WM).

Now, if you can come-up with a counter-post to prove Bob abd myself wrong, that would be something worth a read…

JB

You would think you pro Wal-Marters would at least attempt to disguise the Bentonville talking points.

In case anyone missed it the latest high dollar defense coming out of Edelman/Bentonville et al. is..

Wal-Mart is damned if they do, and damned if they don’t.

Ken,

I don’t concern myself with any WM HQ/Edelman material, any more than I do with the marching orders the other sides dish-out.

Quite honestly, I had never even heard of Edelman until I visted this site.  Obviously, I have learned much in my short time, here…

When I write, I call things as “I” see them from “the outside looking-in”.  Period.

If WM has a similar opinion, I have no problem with that.

JB

Wal-Mart is damned if they do, and damned if they don’t.

I’m not sure that’s what’s coming from Edelman (actually, I’m not sure that anything is coming from Edelman), but it certainly is the truth.

...but it certainly is the truth.

To a certain degree it is. There are, however, many members of the anti Wal-Mart Movement that have a specific agenda. If that agenda is met, they are more than willing to go back to being happy-go-lucky Wal-Mart shoppers.  For example, I doubt the women’s groups that fought for Plan B are still anti Wal-Mart.  For people like that, Wal-Mart isn’t damned either way.

But then there’s people like me. I can put a negative spin on anything having to do with Wal-Mart. Granted, it doesn’t take much talent, since Bentonville is so obliging. Here’s a quick recent example.

As you may recall Wal-Mart came out not long ago with a campaign to sell energy-saving florescent bulbs to replace the electricity eating incandescents.  Wal-Mart promised to do their part selling a kazillion of ‘em.

Sounds pretty good, huh?  Not so fast! It turns out that each florescent bulb contains mercury and without an elaborate recycling system, which more than offsets any potential energy savings, increased use of these bulbs poses a threat of mercury contamination in our landfills, groundwater, etc.

Is this Wal-Mart’s fault?  Of course, not, but like so many things coming out of Bentonville lately, they appear to have gone off half-cocked. Don’t you think it would have been better had Wal-Mart put their crack team of information gatherers on the case before splashing it all over the media?

To complete the thought about Wal-mart being “damned if they do/damned if they don’t”, the moral of my story is don’t make relentless enemies.

Ken V,

“I doubt the women’s groups that fought for Plan B are still anti Wal-Mart.”

But, remember, for every action, there is an equal reaction and while the pro Plan B people are now happy, the anti Plan B people are now unhappy.  So, what did Wal-Mart gain?

“Not so fast! It turns out that each florescent bulb contains mercury and without an elaborate recycling system...Is this Wal-Mart’s fault?  Of course, not, but like so many things coming out of Bentonville lately, they appear to have gone off half-cocked.”

I seem to remember hearing recently, that the EU has passed a law to ban on all incandesent light bulbs by a year in the near future.  Have they gone off half-cocked as well?

“But then there’s people like me. I can put a negative spin on anything having to do with Wal-Mart. Granted, it doesn’t take much talent”

You are right, it doesn’t take much talent to put ANYTHING down.  If I could put a spotlight on your life, I probably wouldn’t have much trouble destroying your life and reputation either.  All I would have to do, is blow every negative thing you did all out of proportion and let as many people know about it, as possible.  I think the term for it, is Character Assassination.  Just look at what the rag magazines do to celebrities or what political candidates do to each other or what comedians do.  Remember how President Ford was considered a bumbling fool, because he tripped coming off a plane once and Chevy Chase made a number of skits on SNL, portraying him as tripping over EVERYTHING.  Yeah, it takes no talent at all, just a spotlight and the will to destroy!!!

Yeah, it takes no talent at all, just a spotlight and the will to destroy!!!

Sounds to me, Bob, you are making my case for <1>Reality vs. Perception</i>.

President Ford was considered a bumbling fool

Was he really a “bumbling fool” or merely percieved that way?

Ronald Reagan was considered a fool as well. All he did was win the Cold War without firing a shot, restore the dignity and power of the Presidency and set America on a course to its’ longest economic expansion in our history.

Yes, there is a HUGE gap between perception and reality. Of course, perception is often what the liberal media HOPE would be and not what is.

Survey work done last summer shows that people’s perception of our wages and benefits is a key driver of Wal-Mart’s overall reputation. ~ Susan Chambers

Is Ms. Chambers part of the “liberal media”?

Ken V,

Susan Chambers didn’t say it was HER perception, but, rather the survey’s result, that it was the “ people’s perception of our wages and benefits is a key driver of Wal-Mart’s overall reputation.”!!  But, we all know that an answer is dependant on what question was asked in the survey.  If the question was: ‘Do you think that it would be better if Wal-Mart paid their employees more and gave them better benefits?’, I ‘m sure that most surveyed would answer YES, as almost all people would rather have more money and better benefits!!!

Your reading comprehension skills are seriously in question, Bob.  No one said it was “HER” perception and it surely isn’t “Her” perception that has sent Wal-Mart’s reputation into the toilet.

I know Susan Chambers is a singularly powerful woman, but even she can’t claim responsibility for the change in perception of Wal-Mart “from being a business success story to being a cultural villain”.