Is it really a surprise that Walmart would side with the right?

It has always baffled me how Planned Parenthood is so demonized by right wingers. I guess access to affordable gynecological care and will turn us all into . . . um, healthy, well informed women?

And another thing - I'm sure this Hahnenberg (who undoubtedly belongs to the ranks of frothing at the mouth women-haters who call themselves Christians) has no problem with pro-lifers or "Christians" of all stripes pushing their distorted world view on all of us on campuses, in front of stores, and, of course, in front of clinics.

I can understand the anti-abortion sentiment, even though I think it's misguided, but when these people start wailing about Planned Parenthood's indoctrination of our innocent little girls, I just scratch my head. How can anyone take themselves seriously when they're spouting shit like that?

Maybe hanging out with the anti-abortion crowd is like hanging out with Magic players or fanfiction writers-- after a while, you're so wrapped up in the universe you've created for yourselves that you don't even realize how absurd you sound to everyone else.

I called Wal-Mart. Their position was that "Wal-Mart doesn't take sides." I said, "What sides? This is community health we're talking about. Preventing people from dying. What other side is there? This group that's protesting is making up a side." She said she couldn't "get into personal opinions" but my opinion was appreciated and they were taking note.

Um, right. I'm sure an event about HIV prevention would just consist of PP telling your little ones to do the nasty.

"They’re pushing pornography..."

What??? In what way?? I'm so baffled.

Take a look at the American Life League's charity ratings. Even by anti-choice standards, they're a waste.

http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=3273

I still don't get how passing out HIV prevention information is "selling sex to kids."

The A.L.L. is CRAZY -- they even think birth control is an abortion.

Thanks for posting about this, I called W-Mart and was told it violated their "solicitation policy." When I asked how giving away free information was solicitation they couldn't tell me... and when I asked how it was different from the Girl Scouts selling cookies, and the churches asking for donations, and the people gathering petition signatures outside of their stores, they also had no response.

As if I needed another reason NOT to shop there...

Not only is Planned Parenthood a non-profit organization, their centers offer FREE HIV testing.

And Wal-Mart sells guns, for crying out loud. Talk about pushing shit on kids. But what does the American Life League have to say about that? Nothing. Exposing kids to guns -- good. Exposing kids to healthy living -- bad!

What's wrong with exposing kids to guns?

I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with exposing kids to guns, depending on what that means. I mean, a kid who's getting shot in the face is being exposed to a gun, and that's obviously not good. But I do think there's something irksome with being able to buy a gun in the same place you buy your bread and undies. I don't know. I just think those three things should be separate.

Here's my point. These people don't care if these kids watch their parents buy guns, literal killing machines, while they do their grocery shopping. But if someone is outside that store handing out information to those kids' parents about how they can be healthier people, that's an outrage. It makes no sense.

Well, yeah, that's an outrage, but saying that them selling guns makes it more of an outrage implies something wrong or unsavory with selling guns. If you don't think that there's something harmful about children seeing guns, then your statement makes as much sense as, "It's an outrage that they don't mind children seeing shirts but won't let them see information about HIV," which is to say, true, but the first part is rather besides the point.

You also seem to imply there's something wrong with killing machines. Well, kitchen knives can be used to kill. The response to that is usually, but knives have another main purpose. Well, so do the guns sold at Wal'Mart. The rifles and shotguns available there are primarily used for sporting purposes. The weapons most commonly used in criminal activity and defense against criminal activity, handguns, are not sold at Wal'Mart.

I wrote the following to the president of the American Life League, Jim Sedlak. Send him an email at jsedlak@all.org. Check out his portrait at http://www.all.org/stopp/director.htm

Get this--he's a "recognized expert on Planned Parenthood." He could be their poster child! Here's what I wrote to him and his minions at A.L.L.:

Dear Mr. Sedlak,
Please find my letter to your colleagues in your hateful fight, the rest of the American Life League. It was regarding the lies that they told about Planned Parenthood's HIV education outside a Wal-Mart.

I see so many hypocritical things coming forth from American Christians these days. They preach values that are antithetical to the very teachings of your own Bible--misogyny, hatred, intolerance, lying, hiding the truth, being your brother's judge and enemy instead of his keeper, and turning a religion based on love into a political machine that spews hatred and is excluding of every religion but your own. You look for differences not for things that we may have in common and, frankly, your golden boy president, George W. Bush, is a picture of power gone mad. He has murdered so many by sending them to war to fight for a lie, destroyed the environment, and killing still more by cutting health care and minimum standards for the environment. He is a monster and a true Christian would NEVER have anything to do with him or his associates.

Here is what I wrote regarding their fairy tale about Planned Parenthood's event:

"Leave it to you to do something so very UN-Christ-like as the intolerance you've shown to the Planned Parenthood event. It had NOTHING to do with abortion or contraception, but just wanted to EDUCATE people about HIV prevention and treatment. When a group suppresses knowledge, you can be sure that it is done out of hate, ignorance, and the desire to cover up the truth. If Christ comes back, he's going to be one ANGRY Messiah, not at Planned Parenthood, but at YOU for your intolerance of your fellow man and woman and your rush to judgement. Good luck when the Man comes around. Methinks you will disappear into the potter's ground and remain forever damned. Isn't it worth it, though, to feel superior over women and men who are different than you?"
Sincerely,
Jeff Wrobel

According to separate sources I have encountered in recent weeks including Morgan Spurlock's 30 Days episode "Gun Nation", criminals acquire a large proportion of their guns through "straw purchases" by which an eligible applicant (e.g. spouse) buys a gun for them. There are also individuals who legally make large purchases of guns and sell them on the black market, one way that guns enter places they are normally banned as they were in Washington D.C. Also, a small percentage (single digit at most) of gun dealers are responsible for the majority of sales to those who are ineligible to buy guns. Naturally, these sales are in themselves illegal.

[I am irked that in my relatively safe community (DV a concern) of 75,000 that goes entire series of years without murders of any kind (and the "only" crimes involving guns appear to be children bringing them to high school), firearms are unavailable for purchase, and K-Mart with their severely limited selection of hunting ammunition (only four rifle calibers including .22 LR, in one bullet type and weight each, and zero handgun ammunition), is the only source of ammunition. My community, and Hawaii in general, is not the problem when it comes to guns. However, as confirmed by the senior salesperson, the only requirement for ammo purchase is one be over 18, with a driver's license. Logically, legal gun owners and others eligible to buy guns should be the ones eligible to get ammo. For themselves.]

Why is Planned Parenthood planning anything with Wal Mart to begin with?!?

To Alice:
selling guns in a place that takes sides with those who claim they want to 'protect life' (even if they're denying it) does make it more of an outrage. It's obvbiously hypocritical since the purpose of guns is to end life.

As CNBC Sucks, I say someone should start a Wal-Mart Sucks blog. Oh, there are already several?

www.walmartsucksorg.blogspot.com
www.walmart-blows.com
www.walmart-really-sucks.com
www.walmartsucks.com

There were actually 1 or 2 CNBC Sucks before me, but they just weren't doing the job. Just to make sure I get back to staying "relevant and on topic" lest JV sends me another admonition, what would you expect from a corporation that is one of the pillars of the Republican / oil / Wal-Mart / NASCAR / high school educated / Christian conservative coalition???