Southeast Wal-Mart Woes (already?)...

It's NOT EVEN OPEN YET...but leave it to the "Rev"...Michael Latham to screw up one of all too FEW shining spots on an otherwise "distressed" part of this city. He's bothered by some of the new Wal-Mart policies it seems.

First, he's pissing and moaming that since THIS Wal-Mart will NOT be open 24 hours (as others have been in the past), that ALL of the stores around Fort Wayne should be closed at the same time. Actually, I'm WITH the Rev on this point (believe it or not...lol). His second and (IMHO) the most controversial "sticking point" is that he doesn't like the fact that THIS Wal-Mart is NOT going to have LAY-AWAYS. Well, big frigging DEAL, Rev... Who the hell really USES that anymore, hmm? With all the stores having 0% interest until "whenever", or rebates on certain items, as well as SO many people using credit (or debit) cards these days...it makes GOOD COMMON SENSE to NOT have something no one uses. THIS Wal-Mart (also) will NOT have SELF-CHECKOUT either. Latham "thinks" that Wal-mart doesn't trust "his" people. Get with the times, Rev...people WILL attempt to defraud others *IF* they can get away with it. And seeing what "your" people manage to GET AWAY WITH day after day in this part of town, this is another no-brainer!

Ever hear the saying "Only a fool will fight in a burning house"?

Lastly, the good Reverend thinks that Wal-Mart doesn't think "their" money is good enough...that's a load of $hit, and you should KNOW it, Rev. The southeast has the SECOND HIGHEST amount of buying power in the WHOLE damn city...do you honestly think that Wal-Mart is putting a store down here if there is NO BUYING POWER....wake up and smell the coffee burning, Bub! You need a refresher course in ECONOMICS 101.

Rev. Latham "contends" (falsely) that Wal-Mart is targeting "minorities" with these policies...WRONG. Wal-Mart is doing this ACROSS the nation in ALL 27 of their NEW stores. Latham belabors the point that "Wal-mart doesn't trust minorities". OK, so why does Wal-Mart HIRE so many then???? Besides...getting back to being open 24 hours...WHO THE HELL does all their shopping at 2:45 FRIGGING AM anyway? Maybe shop-LIFTING at 2:45 AM!

Look Rev...you got this burr under your saddle about wanting to be a "Victicrat", and I guess you're OK with holding your OWN people back that way. I am NOT comfortable with the way you not only impugn other people or agencies and their integrity in this city, but I also take offense at the fact that you "feel" that YOUR PEOPLE are always being put upon by anyone and everyone. Do the math, Rev....the southeast side is approximately SEVENTY PERCENT BLACK...and about NINETY PERCENT of the crime is done by...(all together now)..BLACKS. So who do YOU think is getting a "raw deal" here? Is Wal-mart the bad guy for not wanting to be open all day AND night? Maybe they don't want their employees assaulted when they leave for home? Maybe they don't want a high shrinkage rate from shoplifting? Maybe they want to STAY on the southeast side of town for LONGER than a YEAR? Ever think about THAT, Rev? Menards isn't open 24 hours....is it? Being open from 6 AM until MIDNIGHT should be PLENTY of time for "your people" to get everything they could possibly need.

Rev. Latham played this same race card a few years back with the FWPD and his alluding to the "driving while black" thing....another load of fertilizer for the cornfield, Martha! He didn't realize that it's REALLY called "CRIMINAL" profiling, instead of racial profiling. And that's another post for another day.

Maybe in fact, it was all the CRIME that closed Southtown...ever think of that? Who wanted to run a store in an area that had so MUCH going wrong with it. We (all) lost book stores, music stores, card shops, specialty shops, eateries, movie houses..not to mention some "big boxes" like Kohls, Sears, J.C. Penneys, Ayers, (and most recently Target), thanks to a minority OF the minority doing the majority of wrongful deeds. Now if ANY of us need to get damn near anything other than FUBU clothes and hip-hop rap Cds, we usually have to go ALL THE WAY UPTOWN to get it, or at least shop without being accosted unnecessarily. I guess NOT having a "HOT-107" sticker on the bumper marks you as "unclean" and worthy of scorn (and theft)?

Apparently NO ONE can say anything contrary without being unjustly called a "racist", but the fact is this: YOU are a leader of YOUR people...so LEAD, instead of complain (I'm a taxpayer, and not a leader, so I CAN complain). Get out into "YOUR" community and visit some of the mooks I have to deal with (and live near) daily. Talk to THEM..get THEM to start being accountable, responsible and respectful of others (and themselves as well). Tell them to put down the damn blunts, the crack pipes, get out of the damn boomcar and lose that 40oz and get with the program. Don't just keep playing the RACE CARD every time something POSITIVE rears it's head....that sets the community back YEARS by doing that. It no longer becomes an "equality" issue...it becomes a "superiority" issue, and that sure sounds like racism to ME. And THIS blogger is not afraid to speak the truth in this regard.

I will concede that Wal-Mart is not one of *my* top ten stores, but it IS a new player on the "street"...let's give them a chance in turning this part of town BACK around to the way it USED to be...you know...a lot less crime, more shopping, movies, real restaurants..just like the people up NORTH have (because they seem to care a lot more than the apparent "majority of the minority" does).

I plan to shop there...just like Menards. And I don't give a damn WHAT COLOR the checkout person OR store manager is. To me, they're just decent people, doing something that TOO many others choose NOT to do around THIS part of Ft. Wayne...namely WORK for a living. They believe in values...something you need to get out and preach to the community a LOT more than just from the pulpit with your spouting the same old tired racial rhetoric to the media.

It IS getting pretty "long in the tooth", Rev.