WALMART, WALMART, WALMART........

[FanOFish]

You are darn right it ticks me off royally that Walmart puts everyone out of business. There is no way around it. I won't support Walmart and I'm sure as H*LL not going to buy any half-eaten, fungus growing, eye-ball popping, upside-down floating half DEAD fish from a super conglomerant CHAIN STORE like Walmart.

For the record.....I am not a fan of Wal-Mart and certainly don't buy fish there.

However, everyone here is attacking Wal-Mart....Wal-Mart is not putting people out of business the consumers wanting the "lowest price" no matter what is. Wal-Mart is simply providing customers with what they want. If consumers would stop stampeding like cattle into the new super wal-mart....it would close.

If everyone demanded top quality goods and great customer service over prices we would still have many of the Mom & Pop businesses you speak of.

 

[phoenix]

IM not taking sides in the above conflict but there are already such campaigns {sp} on the internet directed at Petco and Petsmart and they are being done by PETA or whatever the animal rights groups are, so there fore I do not believe they are illegal to do.

Also unless there is a sign at the front door to the WalMArt or else where in the store stating that photography is an illegal act in this store I do Not believe that it is..

 

[Rax]

I couldn't help it. Here are a few thoughts. Pass if you're easily antagonized.

You are one of those Wally World Gurus that will stand by there Fish Killing Mega-Super-Gigantic Store no matter what.

And you? You stand firm beside your local store. Know what? My local store sucks big time.

I'm sure as H*LL not going to buy any half-eaten, fungus growing, eye-ball popping, upside-down floating half DEAD fish from a super conglomerant CHAIN STORE like Walmart.

So where DO you buy your dead fish?

I guess now I know what stands between a compassionate, empathetic and environmentally conscious fish keeper and the WALMART fish buyer.

Well, that's a personal attack on me. Guess I need to take lessons from you on how to be a good person. Maybe tonight I'll just get in my bigass gas suckin' truck and go to Wal-Mart, buy some fish and throw them in the parking lot like we dumbasses are known to do.

There is a new Wal-Mart were I live that isn't half bad for buying fish. In fact its better than some of the really big pet stores.

Try to convince the above poster.

It could very well be that taking pictures inside their store(s) without their permission is illegal. I don't know if this is the case or not

Taking photos in a retail establishment is a gray area. BUT, if you get my face in one of those photos I can sue your ass off.

Wal-Mart is simply providing customers with what they want.

People want cheap. Wal-Mart gives them cheap. Makes for good competition around here since we have a formerly local chain that's looking to go national.

we could get QUITE a few people trying to find Walmart.....that will happen across our site...

Because typing walmart.com like it says all over their ads is too hard?

Freshwatergal I suggest you go to your LFS and have a heart to heart talk to the owner.

I have a similar situation but I'm not planning on going there to have a nice chat with that beergutted scuzbag. I'll go somewhere else.

Y'know, I run a few high-traffic well-ranked sites that I could use to slander yours as well.
Fair is fair.

Feh, that's enough. I'm sure this much will keep people complaining for a while.

 

[silver]

You know what Rax,

I hope one of the moderators comes in here and sees what horrible language you are using and deletes your nonsense post.

That's all I have to say to you. Oh, and............you have the nerve to question my intentions with this "site" I want to make, yet you can blantantly tell me that you are going to my slander my "site" (the one that isn't even made ). OKAY That makes a lot of intelligent sense for sure


And Bol................

You seem to try and be very analytical and intellectual when you speak.........such smart things coming from someone who actually has to ask me:

How do I justify this being better than Walmart's negligence??

I am interpreting your question as this: Is Walmart's cruelty to the fish world worse than an informative website that documents people's findings and thoughts (Lord help us from thinking differently than YOU!) or is a website worse than Walmart's negligence.

By the way, I love a great debate, but not from people like Rax : who must cuss at me to get thier point across. At least Bol hasn't even resorted to that yet!!!

1. What I "propose" to do will inform people of how LITTLE respect Walmart has for the fish industry and how little KNOWLEDGE they have as well. There are already many Walmart HATE sites out there and I think you are geared a little more towards them and are taking it out on me. I could search for a few....let's see I think I'll use WALMART as one of my key words....and I could give you the URLs for them and you can argue with them instead if you'd like. A super-store like this doesn't need to sell fish.....the owners are simply doing this because of revenue ONLY.....not for the love of fish, but I know you will just come back and say that many places do this and it's true. Example, Hastings now serving Espresso to attrack the coffee lovers that love to cuddle up with a book, maybe they'll buy one, eh?. But you people belong to this Forum and say you love fish and respect this hobby as well as enjoy it and care for the well-being of the environment.......or WAIT a minute that must be it.....IT ENDS THERE doesn't it, you care about your own little 10 gallon tanks but when it comes to the masses.............who gives a d*mn HUH!!!!!!!!!!!!!??

Countless people that I know, LFS and people from this forum have at one time or another said that they have either A - seen fish in Walmart tanks with other fish that could kill them B - Seen dead fish and we AREN'T TALKING ABOUT JUST ONE HERE C - Walmart selling extremly fin rotted fish and popeye fish and just leaving them there to be boughten, tooken home to die and have the person just come back for another one the next day.

All these things suggest to me that Walmart does not care enough to hire actual intelligent people to supervise thier fish departments. Or maybe they could have the "fish" people take classes on how to care for the animals and cure diseases and sell the right fish to the right people (Example.....an Oscar just shouldn't be in a 10 gallon, except for at Walmart of course) Just push the fish on out of there like they're made in an essembly line and the more sold the marrier even if the poor thing is limp and lifeless with some ICK disease from being stuck in a tank with a fish 10 TIMES IT'S SIZE and being so stressed out that it is near DEATH!!! But you say this is just a little NEGLIGENCE on Walmart's part which means:

1. Failure to exercise the degree of care considered reasonable under the circumstances, resulting in an unintended injury to another party.
2. The quality or state of being negligent; lack of due diligence or care; omission of duty; habitual neglect; heedlessness.

Now lets take a look at NEGLECT shall we:
1. To pay little or no attention to; fail to heed; disregard.
2. Habitual lack of care.
3. To fail to care for or attend to properly

I suppose if you do admit that the above IS in fact what Walmart is doing then we see eye-to-eye after all.

As far as what I am "proposing" to do being WORSE?? I don't really know, and I have to say that I don't really care!


I will have pictures to show people who may not believe that Walmart isn't GOD of all the FISH like they are GOD of everything else. If Northwest Seed or Petco or even the POUND kept kittens in with adult Pitts or mice in with Calicos then I would do the same darn thing to them as well. Or lets say that thier kittens were missing chunks of furr and they were just selling them instead of fixing them first.

It's funny how you keep coming back to my LFS being put out of business as my reason for viciously attacking Walmart ......You know, that is only a pebble in the bucket and I didn't shop at Walmart even before this happened to THE LFS not MY LFS and I didn't start loathing them after the fact I have always felt this way about good'ole Walmart. This LFS of "MINE" like you like to say, went out of business 2 years ago. Why do you think that has such a big influence on my wanting to do this? Actually, if you want to know the truth about what made me think of this.....it was reading someone elses post about Walmart a few days back. That fueled my PASSION, something some of us have none of. And for your info.........there has been no site yet or pictures or petitions or bombings or stoning yet!!!! This was a mere thought and attempt to have others that feel the same as me come in and chat about it. This was not made to have to JUSTIFY my feelings to a person like you. Someone who needs to know every darn reason for breathing, thinking and creativley trying to change something that you believe is wrong in this world. If you are okay with it........fine!!! I am TOTALLY okay with you being "okay" with it!!!

I am exhausted with this conversation with you Bol and others. So I believe to be finished defending my character and intentions.


Silver

 

[Rax]

Well, lots of people need to be reminded that a large portion of people who buy fish for their "little 10 gallon tanks" do so purely for fun. They claim to care about animals, care about the fish, but buy the cheapest crap food they can find and see the fish as disposable. Think of all the people on this forum who said they'd buy glofish. They aren't interested in playing Creator; they just want 'cool' fish.

It isn't uncommon to see bettas, angel fish and goldfish in the same tank in many peoples' houses. Then just for fun they throw a newt or turtle in there.

Lemme throw another example out. At the local fish store here they have this HUGE pleco in a tank just big enough for it. The last time I was in there looking at the moldy tanks they were, ironically, complaining that Wal-Mart was taking their business. Maybe they need to look after their own tanks before griping.

People in this thread have stated that Wal-Mart is bad, PERIOD. Have you seen the two stores here? Their tanks are actually pretty nice. The girl 'in charge' of the tanks at the one store is a complete idiot but she keeps the tanks clean. The only things I would really complain about are the lack of variety and the world-record population goldfish tank. Outside of those things our Wal-Marts are very nice.

I still think it's funny that there was so much opposition against building a Wal-Mart in the yuppie neighborhood but there sure are a lot of yuppies in there. Even the price rollbacks are geared toward them. Wal-Mart knows their stuff whether people agree with it or not.

 

[Glee]

I too agree. Walmart needs help in the fish dept. Our store did too. Until some of the local fish people took matters into their own hands. Everyone, everytime they went into the store and saw dead fish, or sick fish raised a fuss. This went on for about a month. One day I went in, did my normal pass by and noticed the tanks where empty...come to find out, they changed suppliers. The fishing that they where buying where coming in sick and dead. Mainly because of the way they buy fish and the distance they had to travel before they get to the stores. Very poor quality. But that is what they where paying for, buy cheap, charge big bucks. Our Walmart is now buying from a local well somewhat local supplier and the fish are much better. This group wrote about 300 letters to Walmart, but also wrote letters praising them when things changed. The dept still needs work, they over feed and many other things. But you can make a difference, just by writing and speaking up. It is working here. Now about those Bettas in those cups, Who's idea was that anyway.....I would like to put them in a small cup for a few weeks and see how they like it. Glee

 

[LobsterOfJustice]

I agree - the walmart near me makes me want to throw up when it comes to fish.

But I think I comes down to each individual store. Some, by pure luck, have a knowledgeable employee who is helpful and knows that fish have certian needs. For the most part, I think walmart shouldn't sell fish. They sell everthing else in the world except for spaceships, I think they'd get by without a small fish section. Even if they still sold dry goods, okay with me. Dry goods dont die.

In my opinion, stores like Petsmart vary greatly from store to store... and they, unlike walmart, would get much less business without selling fish, and less profits.

To whoever it was that said they just bought an iridescent shark and it was doing well... not to doubt your knowledge at all, but do you know how big they get?

Although some are decent, Walmarts should not sell fish.

Might be kinda mean and out of line to say this, no offence meant, but I also kind of find it funny that the supporter of Walmart has EIGHTEEN FRICKIN BETTAS.

 

[Bol]

I am interpreting your question as this: Is Walmart's cruelty to the fish world worse than an informative website that documents people's findings and thoughts (backhanded personal attack deleted - bol) or is a website worse than Walmart's negligence.

Yes, that's exactly what I was asking. The word "cruelty" is arguable, but that's the gist of it.

I don't really know, and I have to say that I don't really care!

Thank you for clearing that up; I thought as much. That's a common response of activists, which I feel is a shame, because I think it harms activism.



Now, just to be complete...

It's funny how you keep coming back to my LFS being put out of business as my reason for viciously attacking Walmart ......This LFS of "MINE" like you like to say, went out of business 2 years ago. Why do you think that has such a big influence on my wanting to do this?

Why? Well, frankly, because until your last reply, you never mentioned being concerned for the well-being of fish at all. What you did mention was burning anger and bitterness towards Wal-Mart:

Walmart put my LFS out of business and they had a family and worked hard. This P*SSES me off ROYALY.

I know that Walmart will never stop selling fish and that is a sad thing because they have taken over the REST of the economy and now fish too.

Bingo. This, in my opinion, is the crux of the matter. Note: It's not a sad thing because they "abuse" their fish, but because they're big.

People think Walmart is GOOD for the community, but it is what is puting all the "mom and pop" stores out of business (like my fav. LFS) and who owns those LFS...? That's right, your mom or his pop or my Uncle Fred and Aunt June. It's a sad thing Walmart is, very sad.

You are darn right it ticks me off royally that Walmart puts everyone out of business. There is no way around it. I won't support Walmart

A super-store like this doesn't need to sell fish

In short, I do not believe that the reason for your 'campaign' is to help make Wal-Mart use better fish-keeping practices. I believe it is merely a way to vent bitterness toward the Wal-Mart chain. I base that on the things you've posted. Also, notice the web site names you proposed at first:

Examples:

www.nofishforwalmart.com
www.boycottwalmartfish.com

Again, until your last post, there was zero hint that you would like to see Wal-Mart incorporate better fish-keeping practices. None. Zip. Zilch.

In my opinion, your goal is merely to "hurt" Wal-Mart, and any mention of the fish involved is merely as convenience; used to drum up support.

Let me ask you this, ....

If Wal-Mart "cleaned up" their act tomorrow, and had pristine fish tanks, would you feel satisfied?

 

[JoKeR]

Silver be the bigger man and backaway leave that little (BEEP) alone

 

[silver]

Thank you 55 gallon dude, at least I have one supporter...............Bol isn't worth the time.
Yep, you guessed it. I'm a little p-owed. I work very hard at keeping my fish healthy. It makes me feel horrible to see dogs in kennels and birds in cages and yes even fish in aquariums. I guess the majority of you have the brains to figure out that yes I do care deeply for fish and if you'd take a mere SECOND to get to know me instead of quoting me and slandering me....YES, slandering ME because that's what this Bol person is doing....then you'd realize that I am a compassionate fish, dog and cat keeper who loves her animals. My 2 sister-in-law's LOVE Walmart as does my own sister and I do tease my sister about how she could be puting her money back into the communtiy instead of into WALLY WORLD'S pockets, but this is a much bigger picture that some people are willing to even conceive. Man, I sure got my words picked apart and torn apart and put all back together to look like an A$$, but all I can say is that I have shopped at Walmart many times for kids clothes in the past and yes because they are CHEAP and make CHEAP products to boot. Why should there fish keeping practices be any different. I may not be able to do anything about their clothes, or their mega-monopolizing ways, but I will sure try to do something about the way they keep their fish...........which is something that means enough to me to stand up and say NO!

And Bol, you said I didn't say zilch about caring about the fish?? You quoted me saying the following:

Walmart wasn't good for the fish industry (not to mention every other industry in this country).

What you forgot to do was add the part just before that where I said THIS to FreshwaterGal:

I don't think you should be burned on a stake for buying fish at Walmart, I am guilty of a fish or two from Walmart as well, but after I joined this Forum and learned a little more about these fabulous creatures I realized that Walmart wasn't good for the fish industry (not to mention every other industry in this country).

Also you said the following:

Let me put it this way: Sure, Walmart may use tags such as "camera" "Macintosh" and "bedding", but do they include tags like "Target" and "K-Mart"?

There is one difference here.........I have a sight ABOUT Walmart, duh!! I'm not SELLING anything. Plus, they would be able to see what the sight is about in the short description Search Engines give you, before even clicking on it...........ya, I'm really sneaking around aren't I. Why wouldn't I put thier name in there.

Take that to the bank...............better yet,

TAKE IT TO WALMART


Silver

 

[Captain Canuck]

Well, I gotta say I have enjoyed reading this whole thread. I have seen a LOT of emotions expressed here about opinions of Walmart in general and about their fish section.
I think Silver has good intentions, and that some people are trying to twist his basic motive to help the fish into what they perceive as an attack on Walmart.
Here comes my 2 cents:
1. Silver, I think you are doing a noble thing.
2. Walmart deserves what it gets in negative publicity. The stories I heard about Mom and Pop operations going out of business in the US when Walmart moved in was sad. Hence, when they came to Canada I was prepared. I constantly tell people how local business is effected by Walmart and do my best to persaude people to pay 2-3 cents more elsewhere. Unfortunately, I have shopped there three times in my life and feel dirty afterward every time.

I wish Silver the best on luck on this endeavor and hope to someday see Walmart crumble.

 

[bstier]

Unfortunately, I have shopped there three times in my life and feel dirty afterward every time.

I wish Silver the best on luck on this endeavor and hope to someday see Walmart crumble.

for all those people that shop at walmart for other things then fish, you're a fag. You feeling dirty is just the stereotype in your head talking. Please don't bring that rubbish here

 

[freshwatergal]

Hey...what's wrong with having 18 BETTA's???

I know there are others on this forum that will back me up!

PS...buy the way, there is a sign in Wal-Mart that says if you are caught taking pictures you can be prosecuted. This is normally found by the service desk, or as you first walk in the door!!

 

[silver]

Bstier...........I hope you apologize for calling that person a f@g. That is so low when people resort to belittling and name-calling, what are you 12? Come on now, show a little respect for him/her voicing thier opinion. Bol and I have had a long debate about this and niether one of US started name-calling yet! Although, we've both probably felt like it 2 dozen times!!

By the way................

I'm a girl.....or should I say a Woman Mommy Lady!! )

Silver

 

[bkk_group]

Unfortunately, I have shopped there three times in my life and feel dirty afterward every time.

I wish Silver the best on luck on this endeavor and hope to someday see Walmart crumble.

for all those people that shop at walmart for other things then fish, you're a fag. You feeling dirty is just the stereotype in your head talking. Please don't bring that rubbish here

what would a persons sexual orientation have to do with the topic on hand? weak don't bring your rubbish on here either, ok?