Wal-Mart’s public relations people must have scratched their heads over an unwelcomed “award” the company received a couple of weeks ago from a group of Mennonite’s in Goshen, Indiana. The South Bend Tribune carried a story in late June about a group of 30 Mennonite’s who were attending a “multistate weekend conference” in Goshen, and went toy shopping. The group visited 6 area stores that sold toys, to measure how accessible violent video games were to children in the stores, and how often toy weapons and violently-themed books appeared on store shelves. So the Conference’s justic and peace service commission visited local stores — and the results are in! The Wal-Mart supercenter on E. Lincoln Way tied with another local store for the most violent rating, receiving a “Certificate of Toxicity” award from the Mennonites. Based on a scorecard with 9 criteria, each store was evaluated on whether violente toys were displayed and accessible to kids, if its sold realistic looking guns, etc. The Mennonites want Wal-Mart to follow the lead of Searas and Montgomery Ward, both of which have agreed to stop selling Mature rated video games. The “Toxic” Wal-Mart store was found to have violent video games at eye-level for children, and “40% to 50% of the coloring books had violent themes” the group said. The store also stocked violent games like Mortal Kombat and Tomb Raider. The Wal-Mart store manager referred reporter’s questions to corporate headquarters in Arkansas — but Wal-Mart did not return the South Bend Tribune’s calls.
The three day conference in Goshen attracted about 1,000 Mennonites from Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, Tennessee and Kentucky. You can be sure that the Wal-Mart manager of the E. Lincoln Way Supercenter is not displaying the “Certificate of Toxicity” award in the check out line.
