DR. DAVID B. AXELROD 

SUFFOLK COUNTY POET LAUREATE    

Home Page

Event Schedule

Poetry Doctor

Writers unlimited

David Axelrod's Books

Collected Poems of David B. Axelrod

Recent Activities

Enjoy an Outing

Thanks (With Apologies) to Wal-Mart 

            As I write this, a part of me feels like an ungrateful child. Another part knows that if you apologize before using a cliche and then use it, it only makes it worse. Thus apologizing, I am about to bite the hand that has fed me. Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart has given me money through their Wal-Mart Good.Works Program [and yes, they do put a period between "Good" and "Works."]

            Worse, just yesterday, needing a frying pan, I went to Wal-Mart and found  wonderful choices--all cheap. Then, I walked among the men's cloths and found four more items of summer clothing that were startlingly inexpensive--well-made and cheaper, even, than the local thrift store where I often shop.

            Wal-Mart, for we who have lived long enough to remember small towns with thriving downtowns and momma-poppa stores, is a problem. Wal-Mart, which is certainly one of the biggest censors in what should be a nation of  free speech and artistic innovation, is a villain. Wal-Mart, for a union man as I am, is the devil. My list of anti-Wal-Mart complaints is epic. Yet, I shopped there, selfishly glad for the money I saved.

            This is, of course, not the first time. The first time was actually in Daytona Beach, Florida , in the early 80's when they opened what would now be considered a small store. There were none then, back here on Long Island --or many other places either. Wikipedia  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Wal-Mart ) summarizes the history and rise of Sam Walton's venture, dating the store's move to Florida in 1982, when they began a national expansion in earnest. How could I have known what I was encouraging?

            It should be a good indication of how pervasive and problematic the Company is, that there is a website devoted to its wrong-doings: www.walmartwatch.com . For a fact, Hillary Clinton, herself, served on the Board of Directors of Wal-Mart during her earlier career in her native Arkansas. Now, she doesn't mention that credential in her presidential campaign. Many well-meaning souls have sinned.

Personally, I can't blame the demise of my family's furniture business on Wal-Mart. The family store began to suffer with the opening of an early shopping mall in the late 50's. But I've always known that hope fades, small businesses fail and real choice dies when Wal-Mart comes to town. I am writing this to tell you, if you allow yourself to be unaware of this, you owe it to everyone to educate yourself!

            So how is it that I continue to shop there, and more recently, seeking funding for my Young Poets' Mentoring Program, I actually promised Wal-Mart prominent publicity when the company contributed grant money to my efforts? I'm in good company, I fear, as no less than George Bernard Shaw laid out this conflict in his marvelous play, Major Barbara (http://drama.eserver.org/plays/modern/major-barbara/index_html).  In that play, Barbara is a young idealist working with the Salvation Army. Her father, a munitions maker, Andrew Undershaft (don't you love the indicative name?) offers a large donation to the Salvation Army.  Barbara is duly disillusioned when the donation is quickly accepted, as is that of a liquor manufacturer.

            Undershaft, appropriately enough, argues his case to convert Barbara to his own "evil" ways, saying, "We ... must stand together above the common people: how else can we help their children to climb up beside us?" So I, too, join the ranks of those taking money from a questionable source to "help ... children." Perhaps Wal-Mart believes that with their minds on poetry,  "and not on Trade Unionism nor Socialism,'' young poets will overlook corporate sins. Barbara says "You can't buy your Salvation here for twopence." 

I, myself, am a similar idealist. I rage at the offenses of America's biggest employer--sins like locking in their employees to force them to stay in the store while working abusive hours and as often unpaid overtime. The transfer of wealth from America to China (a pet peeve of mine) is rapidly accelerating because of Wal-Mart, not to mention the exploitation of workers around the world. I gave you a good website above as a reference. I find it hard to restrain myself in this little essay as the offenses are so severe and my passion on the diverse issues is real, felt, sincere.

            But to return to the theme of this essay, I did it. I confess. Worse, I will even keep my word to the Company and place their logo with thanks prominently on my Young Poets' literature. And in another ancient if questionable tradition, I will hope that this essay can bring me some measure of forgiveness. The spirit is strong but the body is weak. I have sinned and I am begging forgiveness--absolution--though I know I can not promise to go and sin no more. Rather, I can only point out my own hypocrisy and hope you are at least understanding of my too-human nature.

            I love my Fruit-of-the-Loom tank tops, all cotton, made in El Salvador, and only $3.48 each. So comfortable. So cheap. Sold to me under an idiot smile on a ROLLBACK sign. I know that to make me comfy, so many people must suffer--just as I know that several young poets, at least, will benefit from my taking the filthy lucre from Wal-Mart's hands. So I do it--I sit in my smugness, my righteousness as a Poet Laureate--and I preach free speech, equal opportunity; I write poems asking that we "just treat each other nicely." And all this is paid for by the Great Satan of commerce, Wal-Mart. And I thank them for helping fund my faint efforts to do Good.Works.  

David B. Axelrod, June 10, 2007. 

And a P.S.: I, for my own part, have promised myself that I will write a poem to add to the end of this essay, which may expiate my guilt in taking Wal-Mart money. Come back and see if poetry can save the world ...

DBA