Here’s a story from a Wal-Mart shopper than you won’t see on any TV advertisement. Rebecca Worthington submitted this account of her recent visit to a Wal-Mart: “My boyfriend, my son, and I witnessed a little girl being abused in a Wal-Mart store in Fort Dodge, Iowa on October 12, 2002. The man was crouched down between clothing racks, but the fact that we were in the front of the store and they were in the middle, that tells how loud he was screaming in her face. My boyfriend walked over to where the situation was and the man stopped. We had the guy in our sights and went to get the clerk to call the police. That’s where we were informed that it is Wal-Mart policy to not interfere with any domestic situation of any kind. My boyfriend spoke to an assistant manager who informed him that it was none of their business. The assistant manager said that their policy states they can’t even break up a fight in their stores. Isn’t that ILLEGAL? To witness a crime — and as far as I know, child abuse would qualify as a crime — and do nothing should bring charges equal to the crime itself. Wal-Mart puts out all this information out about being a community leader and they won’t allow their employees pick up a phone to call the police if child abuse is going on? The clerk told me that if a social worker happened to be there, then something could be done, but as it stands it’s none of their business. I am disgusted, outraged, and sick that I’ve spent over $1,000 within the last month on a corporation that teaches their employees to turn their heads on abuse. Needless to say, I will NEVER spend another dime on another Wal-Mart or Sam’s Club. I want everyone to know what kind of corporation they are spending their hard earned money on. This ticks me off because the company has on their web site how children are our future and how dedicated they are to ensure each child has a good childhood and I know they don’t care about anything other than their bottom line.”
“I plan to begin a petition insisting on a change in policy or for Wal-Mart to stop false advertising their community commitment. Even if neither happens, I know by distributing petitions a LOT of people will be enlightened on what their money supports. I feel that Wal-Mart interfered with my legal responsibility to report such a crime by refusing to get involved. I told my boyfriend I am very seriously considering using my education to distribute flyers, brochures, pamphlets, web sites, etc and my sense of what’s right and wrong to put an end to companies that don’t care. I know in my story nobody got seriously hurt, but that’s not so much the point. The fact that I specifically asked what if I had seen him hitting her, would the police be called then, and then being told that they do not get involved at all with any domestic situations. I consider myself lucky to not to have to have seen something like that, but I feel for the children that are abused daily in such corporate bottom-line dwellers and not being protected.”
