Wal-Mart politics

To the editor:

A week ago I noted in this space a letter that enumerated a series of “sins” attributed to Wal-Mart as an argument to support the company’s exclusion from the corner of Sixth and Wakarusa. And I thought all along that this was a land-use issue and not a corporate vendetta.

The letter was obviously written by someone of intelligence and apparently represents the views of a number of people. Did we somehow fail to provide the necessary education in civics and economics to help these people understand the difference? Perhaps those focused on the corporate Wal-Mart do understand but believe that direct action should lead to desired goals regardless of the law. Do we have a sizable population that thinks a city is run like a sorority – if we don’t like you we exclude you?

Whatever the case, it is kind of frightening – Wal-Mart today and Catholics tomorrow! I truly feel sorry for our law givers, who are apparently confronted by such people demanding outcomes based on ideology and not law. We certainly do have the right to manage our growth through the application of appropriate zoning regulations. If our process is clear, consistent and generally applied, no large box store will ever be located at Sixth and Wakarusa.

If not, we will have spent a lot of sorely needed resources to try to please a bunch of people angry at Wal-Mart with no productive outcome for the community at large.

George Lippencott,

Lawrence