Black People must leave: How PC have we become?

[Trip]

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Black-...19349.html?x=0

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP) -- A Walmart store announcement ordering black people to leave brought chagrin and apologies Wednesday from leaders of the company, which has built a fragile trust among minority communities.

A male voice came over the public-address system Sunday evening at a store in Washington Township, in southern New Jersey, and calmly announced: "Attention, Walmart customers: All black people, leave the store now."

Shoppers in the store at the time said a manager quickly got on the public-address system and apologized for the remark. And while it was unclear whether a rogue patron or an employee was responsible for the comment, many customers expressed their anger to store management.

"I want to know why such statements are being made, because it flies in the face of what we teach our children about tolerance for all," said Sheila Ellington, who was in the store at the time with a friend. "If this was meant to be a prank, there's only one person laughing, and it's not either one of us."

Ellington, of Monroe, and her friend Patricia Covington said they plan to boycott the retailer until they're assured the issue has been addressed so it doesn't happen again.

The pair said they were stunned when they heard the announcement and initially believed they had misheard it. But once the words sank in, they grew angry.

"I depended on Walmart for all my needs, because the store has pretty much everything you could want," Covington said. "But until this issue is addressed in a way I'm comfortable with, I can't walk through those doors again."

Officials with Wal-Mart Stores Inc., based in Bentonville, Ark., said that the announcement was "unacceptable" and that they're trying to determine who made it and how it happened.

"We are just as appalled by this incident as our customers," the company said in a statement. "Whoever did this is just wrong and acted in an inappropriate manner. Clearly, this is completely unacceptable to us and to our customers."

This is not the first time the retailer has faced such problems.

There have been several past instances of black customers claiming they were treated unfairly at Walmart stores, and the company faced lawsuits alleging that women were passed over in favor of men for pay raises and promotions.

In February 2009, the retailer paid $17.5 million to settle a class action lawsuit alleging racial discrimination in its hiring of truck drivers.

And the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sued the company in May 2009, claiming some Hispanic employees at a Sam's Club subsidiary in California were subjected to a hostile work environment. That suit alleges managers failed to stop repeated verbal harassment, including the use of derogatory words, against employees of Mexican descent.

However, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People has said the company has worked hard in recent years to show it cares about diversity.

Bill Mitchell, a former Walmart employee who was shopping Wednesday at the store, said that he was saddened to hear about the announcement but that "as a black man, I've heard worse things."

As customer Sharon Osbourne, of Williamstown, left the store Wednesday, she called the announcement "appalling, stupid and sad."

Seriously, people are getting upset at Walmart about an unknown prank announcer, even after a manager came on and said it wasn't walmart and apologized. These people sicken me that they would complain and boycott because of something some kid did as a joke. Good lord, people need to get over themselves. This is why there will always be racism in america, because douchebags hold it over people.

[ontwo]

I wonder what kind of "outrage" there would have been if the person had said, "all white people leave"????

[shmike]

Originally Posted by ontwo

I wonder what kind of "outrage" there would have been if the person had said, "all white people leave"????

Why would a white person be in Wal Mart?

Edit: 2 seconds too slow.

Originally Posted by Rider

Probably none because there would not have been any white people in the store.

[Digifox]

When that came on the news last night i nearly pissed my pants

Originally Posted by ontwo

I wonder what kind of "outrage" there would have been if the person had said, "all white people leave"????

Damn you beat me to it...sorta...

I'mma go to a walmart here and get on the PA and just say the same line only white people...and see if I get put on the news for a racial slur.....

[the chi]

I agree. I had just finished reading that article. For real? Boycotting walmart because some idiot pulled a prank on the PA? Please.

[Rider]

Yeah seems like a no brainier to me. Some kid playing a joke, no reason the boycott Walmart because of it. I hate Walmart and I won't shop there but this is clearly not their fault.

Originally Posted by ontwo

I wonder what kind of "outrage" there would have been if the person had said, "all white people leave"????

Probably none because there would not have been any white people in the store.

[EpyonXero]

Originally Posted by Rider

Yeah seems like a no brainier to me. Some kid playing a joke, no reason the boycott Walmart because of it. I hate Walmart and I won't shop there but this is clearly not their fault.



Probably none because there would not have been any white people in the store.

Your Wal-Marts must be different from ours.

[Homeslice]

Originally Posted by Rider

Probably none because there would not have been any white people in the store.

Disagreed, I work with retailer data all the time, and the Wal-Mart customer is even more likely to be White than the average American. Consider where MOST of its stores are located.

[Rider]

Originally Posted by EpyonXero

Your Wal-Marts must be different from ours.

Originally Posted by Apoc

I gotta agree with Epyon... I dunno abiout your walmarts, but ours are full of white people.

Originally Posted by Homeslice

Disagreed, I work with retailer data all the time, and the Wal-Mart customer is even more likely to be White than the average American. Consider where MOST of its stores are located.

It was a joke, I don't shop there so I really don't know but with all the white trailer trash around here I guarantee you they shop at walmart too.

[Trip]

Originally Posted by Rider

It was a joke, I don't shop there so I really don't know but with all the white trailer trash around here I guarantee you they shop at walmart too.

You should go before you say something then.

There is walmarts in all areas of town and pretty much everyone shops at one, yes there is even fancy walmarts in the most upscale sections of cities where even your so called high society individuals shop at walmart. I am not joking, the fancy walmart in Knoxville and New Orleans is probably the one that's always the most packed and packed with upper class white people.

Then there are people who go to walmart ver 2, otherwise known as target, because for some odd reason they think they are too good for walmart but still want to be greedy about their shopping.