Letters to the Editor

Wal-Mart takes over Brookings

Hi. So it’s about 2:30 a.m. on a Friday morning and I find myself awake, again, with class at 9 a.m. Not too unusual for me, if you know me, and since I’m up I thought I’d like to share a little something that bothers me. It’s a well-known place right here in our hometown of Brookings, SD that I affectionately call “the Devil,” a.k.a. Wal-Mart.

So why do I call the place that will sell you a refrigerator for three dollars “the Devil?” Simple, because they appeal to one of human nature’s worst character defects: greed. The rich are getting richer and Wal-Mart is taking advantage of you and me while simultaneously wiping out small businesses and competition around the world. I don’t have any hard facts to tell you about how many small businesses and local communities that “the Devil” has affected in some negative way, but I know that it’s out there if you want to look. What I would like to share is a personal experience I had with “the Devil,” right here in Brookings, this past Christmas to give an example of the mighty corporation versus our local merchants.

I needed some iron-on letters to make a gift for a friend and, as I was visiting “the Devil” for a school project, I decided I would check out their selection. There wasn’t much of one. I guess iron-on letters aren’t that cool anymore. So I asked the attendant in the fabric department if she knew of any local craft stores that might carry iron-on letters. Guess what I got: a look that said “I could give a crap” and a “No.” It made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I almost broke down and bought the letters that were available, but that lady pissed me off and the fact that I was about to buy something from “the Devil,” saved me.

The next day I went to Embroidery and More, which is located in the strip mall with Blockbuster and Dollar Discount in it. Iron-on letters weren’t cool there either, but the girl working there directed me to two other local stores downtown. She said she could order some if I wanted her to, and apologized. I thanked her and checked out the other two stores she recommended, and a funny thing happened. Both of the stores’ employees apologized for not having what I wanted and directed me to the other local stores. This was a far cry from the “no” and apathetic look that “the Devil” offered me.

I eventually found what I needed at the University Mall and I didn’t have to bow down to “the Devil.” So what’s the moral of the story? Support your local businesses and you will be rewarded. People opened that store for a reason and you will find people who are passionate about what they do there. It took me at least an extra hour and a little bit of driving around to get what I wanted, but I got to talk to people who were genuinely interested in helping me and got to know Brookings a little better, well worth the extra time and effort and I stayed away from contributing to “the Devil’ for another day.

It’s not really fair to lay all of the blame on Wal-Mart. I think it’s important to recognize that ultimately the responsibility for Wal-Mart’s success, or oppression, lies with me, the consumer. Am I going to be greedy about the few dollars I can save by shopping with “the Devil,” or am I going to stand for something and try to make a difference in my community? I hope you’ll ask yourself the same question.

Robert Wright

Junior pharmacy major

Cast performs exciting show

Cast of Capers,

Thanks for a spectacular show. The writing, directing and all the acting was great.

Zeno Wicks III

Professor of Plant Science

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