In a recent post I made regarding Walmart, or rather, Walmart's CEO Lee Scott, I came under some fire from fellow blogger buddies questioning my conservatisism, which has troubled me. I have tried to explain my comments but I fear I failed to articulate my thoughts adequately. The comment was about Scotts apparent callousness in speaking off the cuff about the national minimum wage, not about Walmart per se.
I don't happen to like Walmart, but that's a personal thing between me and Walmart.
Let me state for the record that I believe Walmart to be a great American success story, and I am totally against raising the minimum wage. That said, I also believe that Lee Scott has departed from the principles that made Sam Walton so successful in business.
"Mr. Sam", as he was known to his friends and employees, was a man who believed in
treating people with respect and compassion, and cared a great deal about his employees. I believe if he were alive today, he would not approve of the direction Walmart has gone particuarly in how the corporation has treated it's own employees.Everything I believe, my ideology, and my comments are consistent, based in my faith in God, and in what I believe Christ teaches. If I appear to be inconsistent it is either because I have been misunderstood, or because I have re-evaluated how I interpret the scripture and decided I may have been mistaken in my interpretation.
People who seriously study the Bible often re-evaluate their beliefs based on further study of God's word. And every believer who studies the Bible ultimately has some disagreements with other believers, but that's a good thing. It stimulates honest discussion and introspection, which tends to make people re-evaluate what they believe.
If I never say something you disagree with, then I am either God, or I have no integrity, and, like Senator John McCain, mold my convictions according to whatever group I happen to be addressing at the time.
All things to all people, I'm not.
As Groucho Marx said, "Those are my principles, and if you don't like them... well, I have others".
13 comments:
Sometimes people are inconsistent because people inconsistent. No need to defend yourself.
You worry too much about people liking you! :-)
--ER
"You worry too much about people liking you!"
You are absolutely right, ER. I have said that before. And, if I may say, no offense intended, you are too sensitive. ;)
Sheila and ER have it right. You can defend your opinions if you want to but in the end they are yours and yours alone-people can argue & disagree with you all the day but in the end their opinion should never matter b/c afterall since they are your opinions, they don't affect anyone else. I don't always agree with everything you may write but I have so much respect for anyone who can state his opinions, defend them and sometimes change them. I'm a liberal at heart but I almost always vote republican b/c even though I wear one label, I have many ideals outside of it---and i have total respect for anyone who can step outside of their label as well.
(wow, I feel like I just rambled on there--I hope it made sense, but if not, sorry!)
Me? Sensitive? When have I ever overreacted to a perceived slight?
Oh. Never mind. :-)
--ER
Mark,
I have never doubted your sincerity or conservativeness. And it is hard not to be sensitive when people mislabel or make judgements based on misunderstandings.
Bruiser,
The problem that many in the GOP have with Global Warming is the current liberal thinking that humans caused it and that we can stop or reverse it. There is more pollution put into the atmosphere by one volcano erupting than by humans. The earth has cycles and is constantly changing and adapting. Remember, 30 years ago many of these same scientists who are claiming global warming were touting the horrible effects of global cooling.
Bruiser. No I don't agree with President Bush about Bird flu. I think the big flap (pun intended) about Bird Flu is way overblown.
I don't care if the Republican party believe in Global Warming or not. I personally don't.
I know dinosaurs existed.
And if Karl Rove is heterosexual or if he isn't, he still didn't leak any covert operatives name. Fitzgerald has established that.
So, is that all you got?
Mark, I didn't agree with you but that wasn't a reason to question your conservatism. I'm sorry. The discussion was just getting on my nerves. I shouldn't have lashed out like that. I still love ya, man!
And don't worry about Tug. He'll come around.
I'm around, Mark.
I sincerely apologize for the severity of my reaction to your Wal-Mart post.
I admit that I went off the deep end somewhat.
I just hate the current trend of demonizing big business, and the rich, and when I heard it from you, (Who I thought understood how things worked in a free market society,)(and I realize that you do...) I just lost my cool.
The attack on businesses and achievers in America is my hot button.
The thought that I had to educate even you about why it is bad got to me.
But I'm okay now.
Please forgive me.
Love the Groucho Marx quotes, by the way.
He was great.
Ol' Tug likes to wish more people knew "Economics 101." The problem is, this country operates on "Economics 6100" -- a grad or post-graduate semninar that never ends.
Dude, you gotta get past supply-and-demand to really "get" what the heck goes on in the world!
--ER
I would prefer to go to my local private grocery but when they charge me twice as much for vegetables that are in horse fodder conditions and a crappy meat aisle, I will go where there is a better selection. I shop at Walmart because I can buy socks, bread, petunias,and motor oil in one stop, guy fashion, and a plasma TV no hassles while my film is developed, americana at its best, LOL. My local delis and corner stores get my beer and lunch money.
Is that where they explain the concept of "Trickle-Up Economics", ER?
How educated do you have to be before basic mathematics don't work for you anymore?
Thanks for the lead, I have my own post about this very subject.
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