Let me start this diary with a confession:
I shop at Walmart.
There, I said it. I never feel good when I shop there and, believe me, I understand just how evil that empire is. It comes down to the fact I'm broke half the time and it's just too damn convenient when you need six random things that you would have to go to six different stores to buy. Or maybe I've just been too damn lazy. Either way, my New Year's resolution is to stop patronizing Walmart and encourage my friends and family to do the same.
I am currently a graduate student in environmental studies and I'm well aware of the damage that Walmart has done to our communities, from purchasing products from environmentally irresponsible vendors to eliminating good paying jobs with living wages to outsourcing manufacturing jobs overseas. A good number of my friends already practice what they preach and never go near the store, but a surprising number are just like me. My academic friends who still shop there think the resolution is a great idea and are eager to jump on the bandwagon.
...but they are the low hanging fruit. How could I possibly get my grandparents to join me? Or even my (gasp!) conservative friends? The approach that I'm going to take is simple:
It's not patriotic to shop at Walmart. This company purchases nearly nothing manufactured in the United States and encourages (or even demands) it's vendors to set up shop in China.
This is a message that I believe and that will also ring loudly in the ears of those less informed or less concerned with the issues that I see important. Americans are seeing manufacturing jobs leaving. The town that I grew up in was heavily dependant on an Ethan Allen manufacturing facility. The plant closed its doors several months ago.
I encourage those dailykos readers who are guilty of Walmarting to take on this resolution and find a few friends to do the same.