An antigay
Christian group gathered outside the headquarters of
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. in Bentonville, Ark., last
Friday to protest what it sees as the company's
abandoning of the "godly principles" of late founder
Sam Walton, The [Fayetteville,
Ark.] Morning News reported. Dallas-based
Operation Save America is opposed to Wal-Mart's partnership
with the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce
and its decision to carry a next-morning birth control
pill.
The Reverend Flip
Benham of Operation Save America and approximately 35
of its supporters gathered outside Wal-Mart headquarters on
Southwest Eighth Street.
"Wal-Mart has
been blackmailed by the radical homosexual agenda and
the abortion industry. Rather than honoring God, Wal-Mart is
now promoting homosexual sodomy and the killing of His
children," Benham said in the news release.
Wal-Mart
spokeswoman Sharon Weber said in response that "everyone has
their own opinions, and our focus is on serving our
customers."
"Just as
importantly, respect for the individual is one of the core
values that has made us into the company we are today. We
take pride in the fact that we treat every customer,
every supplier, and every member of our individual
communities fairly and equally," Weber said.
Benham told
The Morning News that his group received a
"great reception" from store customers but not from
officials at Wal-Mart headquarters.
"They're just a
little different over there. They're arrogant and
unconcerned," he said. "We tried to arrange a meeting with
them a week before last, but they said everybody's too
busy. We're Wal-Mart customers. They love us when we
come in to spend money, but when we come to confront
them over the sin they're promoting...they're quite
arrogant," Benham said.
A group of around
four to five people carrying banners in support
of Wal-Mart showed up at the store in response to the
protest.
"Mr. Sam would
never had allowed this to happen in his store," Benham
said.
Weber said
members of the Wal-Mart corporate security team did meet
with someone from Operation Save America because that
is the company's policy toward uninvited guests. "We
do that to ensure we understand their agenda for
coming and that they plan to act in a safe and responsible
manner," she said.
Wal-Mart was
getting hit from both the right and left Friday. Wake-Up
Wal-Mart, a Washington-based and union-funded group waging a
campaign against the company, held candlelight prayer
vigils in several cities Friday, including a stop in
Little Rock. Its campaign is called "Would Jesus Shop
at Wal-Mart?" and includes an ad by a Kentucky Baptist
pastor who takes Wal-Mart to task over its wages and
benefits. (The Advocate)
