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Wal-Mart, the pride of American Free Enterprise and Capitalism, has really gone to shame when it comes to how it sits among one of the top American retail businesses across the nation. Retail malls seem to be bowing at Wal-Mart and saying, "Well done," yet when you go to a Wal-Mart, no matter where you go, Americanism seems to be waning. Wal-Mart used to be one of America's place to work, but as has been seen, more and more immigrants who are not yet full citizens are getting the nod at getting jobs with the American super giant of retail establishments. There are some individual brief stories to tell here where elderly Americans have been overlooked for younger immigrants who tend to do more talking and playing then caring about customer service.

Wal-Mart is a retail chain started by the late, great American, Sam Walton. What an entrepreneur he was. Out of Wal-Mart came Sam's Club, a Membership Only, retail establishment where items can be bought in bulk, which is different than Wal-Mart itself (except for Super Wal-Mart's) and some grocery chains. It used to be easy to go to a Wal-Mart and be greeted by a happy, smiling and friendly greeter who spoke English and was either a senior man or women who was glad to be working sometimes beyond retirement age. There was one man, in his 60's who enjoyed immensely to be working at Wal-Mart and was always looking to do more. He had pretty good benefits and would work whatever hours he needed. He not only greeted people he knew for a great deal of his life, but he greeted everyone who came into the store with a smile and never waned. However, as time wore on, after a good five years, the store had to come up with an excuse to let him go so that room could be made for younger, no-caring individuals who are only there to collect a paycheck and hopefully one day go on to a higher education or maybe end up on the streets, who knows. Do not get me wrong, there are good people, young and old, that work at Wal-Mart, but few are there to really help.

Another great example of complacency of store management in the Wal-Mart chains is one Christmas shopping season a women removed her pocket book shoulder strap to beat her child with every time she cried. This women had no control over her child. A store manager and security officer were called over and when they decided they could do nothing, they turned and said, "We know what we are doing, so let us do our job." There job was to do nothing and watch and listen as the child continued to be screamed at and beaten with the shoulder strap and this continued. Many people could not stand what was going on so they left their shopping carts where they stood and walked out the store.

Wal-Mart seems to be waning in the way they conduct business. Obviously, the upper-level management is more interested in opening up more and more locations rather than try and fix those that are already established. It is time that Wal-Mart straightens itself up or retail malls will overrun the Wal-Mart's for the choice of shopping and then Wal-Mart will end up like Home Depot and have to start closing stores. Let's hope that Wal-Mart goes back to the American way of retail shopping and do what is necessary to better itself not only for their own good but for the good of America.

Learn more about this author, David Brown.
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