Aug. 22, 2006 - 18:58 MDT

BOTH FEET

To be a spokesman for someone, needs must one be a bit levelheaded. A Rocky Mountain News "On Point" editorial by Vincent Carroll in today's paper accentuates that, in full:

ANDREW YOUNG'S LAPSE

In contemporary America, it's considered perfectly acceptable to describe a class of hard-working businessmen as heartless, greedy predators. It's done every day. What's not acceptable, Andrew Young learned last week, is to mention the ethnicity of the business people you're smearing."

"Young is the former United Nations ambassador and mayor of Atlanta who was hired by Working Families for Wal-Mart to help improve the company's public image."

"Asked whether he cared about Wal-Mart's impact on smaller stores he answered as follows: "Wal-Mart ran the 'mom and pop' stores out of my neighborhood. But you see, these are the people who have been overchargfing us, selling us stale bread and bad meat and wilted vegetables. And they sold out and moved to Florida, I think they have ripped off our communities enough."

"If Young had stopped there (without mentioning Florida), he'd still be spokesman for the group today. But the reference to Florida telegraphs the suicidal conclusion that followed. "First it was Jews," Young said, "then it was Koreans and now it's Arabs, very few black people own these stores."

"But wait: Don't members of some ethnic groups have a knack for starting small businesses that serve poor or distressed neighborhoods ? Yes they seem to. And don't these stores have a hard time competing with big outfits like Wal-Mart when the latter moves in ? Yes, of course."

"So what's the problem with Young's answer ? It's obviously that he accuses those ethnic entrepreneurs as a group of sleaze and greed instead of recognizing their very real contributions."

"Most people have read Young's stumble as a lesson in why we shouldn't stereotype people. In fact, it's a much better lesson in the danger of stereotyping of professions."

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Guess I'll take a walk back to my childhood on this one.

As it usually goes, "When I was a kid," the big chain stores like Piggly Wiggly closed at 5 PM and opened about 8 AM. But working people often needed to buy bread, milk or ice cream in the evenings. Thus came the Mom and Pop stores, and they called them "Creameries." Most of them opened earlier and stayed open later, often until 9 PM. The volume of merchandise they sold could not get them the favorable wholesale prices that the biggies got, so consequently they charged more over the counter.

The beauty of those little shops, tucked in neighborhood corners, often near the neighborhood drug stores, beauty shops, tailors and shoemakers was that they were convenient. Convenient enough that when the big companies barged in and took over - that is what they have been called, Convenience Stores.

Competition has steadily increased. 7-11s began to stay open 24 hours a day (still charging more for their goods as the Mom and Pop stores did before them) However, nowadays one can see a tractor and semi-trailer pulled up and unloading a ration of merchandise that has been obtained at more favorable prices than the Mom and Pops ever could swing.

Then, of course, in our town the big chain stores began to stay open 24-7 also.

Much like an ant-pile with the top kicked off, everyone scurrying around trying to out-do each other.

Now we have Wal-Mart with their suppliers and factories in China and the local businesses who cut their prices so as to supply Wal-Mart coming in with their big box, selling everything under the sun, groceries and drugs and all.

It amazes me that Andrew Young has such a mind set and big mouth. His slant on the situation is twisted out of shape as far as I am concerned. He doesn't seem to have an adequate grasp of economics and little recognition of common sense.

It appears to me that someone goofed extremely in making him an ambassador to anything and that he fooled the voters in Atlanta.

Typical modus operandi, open mouth wide, intending to talk big but inserting BOTH FEET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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