Saturday, July 11, 2009

What do Fill Dirt, a 1500 Year Old Indian Mound, and the Wal-Mart Corporation have in common? Nothing Good!

For a number of years, I had my own personal little boycott going against Wal-Mart. I was upset when they abandoned their building on the East side of Fremont, to build a newer, better, bigger version across town. It was mostly a quiet rebellion, in which I took my business to the local K-Mart, grumbling about the extra 15 minutes of drive time that this change of buying habits necessitated.

My anger briefly flared again in 2001 when I found online, Wal-Mart’s Realty Division. I was shocked to see close to 300 stores across the country had suffered similar fates. Today, more than a decade (maybe even closing in on two decades, my senility creeping mind can’t remember exactly when the “new” store was built) after coyly hinting to the local newspaper that they, Wal-Mart, had undisclosed plans for the soon to be abandoned building on the East side of Fremont, the building remains empty, unoccupied, and a monument to the schizoid good neighbor policy Wal-Mart brings to its host communities. What does this have to do with genealogy? 

Nothing really, except that earlier on Friday, I received an email from my geneablogging buddy, Mississippi Terry, of Hill Country of Monroe County. He asked his friends in the geneablogging community to “Read Deep Fried Kudzu today and weep at the wanton destruction of our heritage.” 

In the post, the writer tells about the plans of Oxford, Alabama to destroy a 1500-year-old Indian Mound site to use it as fill dirt for the building of a new Sam’s Club. The mayor of Oxford, Leon Smith, was quoted as saying to the local ABC affiliate, “if any remains are found, they will be reburied there.” 

Well, sure, after digging them up and tossing them all together in a heap, that’s the least the city could do. I’d like to think that the Wal-Mart Corporation is ignorant of these plans, and would not condone such a thing. I’d like to think that upon learning of such activities by the town of Oxford, the Wal-Mart Corporation would prove me wrong in my assessment of their community minded character, and say, “No, Way!” I’d like to think it, but I’m not holding my breath.

© 11 July 2009, Desktop Genealogist Unplugged, Teresa L. Snyder 


4 comments:

Dorene from Ohio said...

I hope that steps are taken to stop this from happening!

Greta Koehl said...

I had not realized that Walmart had done this "abandon one, build another" thing so many times. And now this sad story in Oxford. I won't be hiking out to our local W-Mart any time soon.

Mary said...

So sorry for the burial site....here in VA Walmart can't seem to find locations for stores in the northern part of the state that don't impact Civil War battlefields.

I don't shop there myself...K-Mart all the way!

A rootdigger said...

Wally world is about the only existing shopping place now in our town. It forces the little local business men out of business. Downtowns get to be nothing but nothing stores. and now to make our town profit, they built a big massive storage facilitie. Whether this has helped our town, i am not sure. I used to boycott, but now I go to kmart and other stores for groceries, etc. I just no longer care to drive out of town for my needs. so many a day I suck it up and go to wally world. but my peeve is not only above mentioned things, it is also their employment practices. Lacking major skills one ends up there. So many do. No unions, and not much else for advantages one still gets employed there, because it's there.
Wahlgreens now has moved in to give them a lttle compettion.
I didn't even mention items are not american made!

Also, the business with these corporations make things happen. Just as some towns push through improvements that most people wonder how in the world they achieved it when there was so much opposition.

Interesting blog to read and react to. thanks.


Terry

Terry

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