So we just found out that Yorkville will be getting a Super Wal-Mart soon. I have to say that Julie and I are both very disappointed at this news. The problem is not the commercial expansion (we knew that was inevitable); it's just that of all the stores that could have been built here, why does it have to be a Wal-Mart? There are just so many reasons not to like Wal-Mart. Besides the fact that Wal-Marts, to me, just have this kind of trashy, cheap (in a bad way) feel to them, and besides the fact that Wal-Marts are the #1 destroyers of local economy and small businesses (that's practically their explicit and unashamed game plan - i.e. go into smaller towns and cities where their only competition are small business owners whom they can easily crush), there are also all the immoral, unethical practices associated with Wal-Mart, such as gender discrimination, poor benefits and poor treatment of their employees, selling goods made in foreign sweat-shops at below living wage standards, and other such injustices. In short, I just feel dirty when I shop at Wal-Mart (which I try to avoid whenever possible - though it isn't always.)

The strange thing is that there is already one other Wal-Mart within 5 minutes of Yorkville, and two others going up within a 10-15 minute radius from here. Do we really need another one? If we have to have a big-box retailer, why not something at least something different and regionally local like Meiers?

Of course, just because the new Wal-Mart will be about five blocks from our house doesn't mean we're obligated to shop there. There are other options a little further away that we can continue to use despite the greater inconvenience. After all, that would be a very minor sacrifice in order to stand by one's moral principles.