Andrew Young & Wal-Mart
Check out this story from the New York Times: Wal-Mart Image-Builder Resigns
I am quite surprised at the situation surrounding Mr. Young’s resignation, especially given his background. The nature of his comments–the business side of them at least–also make me wonder if there is a larger sentiment among the Wal-Mart ranks that the company really is doing a good thing by combating the price-hiking small businesses. The concept seems rather ludicrous, but perhaps not that far off base.
Here are a few snippets from the article:
“In the interview, published yesterday in The Los Angeles Sentinel, a weekly, Mr. Young said that Wal-Mart ’should’ displace mom-and-pop stores in urban neighborhoods.
“’You see those are the people who have been overcharging us,’ he said of the owners of the small stores, ‘and they sold out and moved to Florida. I think they’ve ripped off our communities enough. First it was Jews, then it was Koreans and now it’s Arabs.’”
…Wow. And then speaking of his comments later:
“’It’s against everything I ever thought in my life,’ Mr. Young said. ‘It never should have been said. I was speaking in the context of Atlanta, and that does not work in New York or Los Angeles.’”
He started out well, but the latter half pretty much negates the apology in my book.
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