Protests temporarily close malls, shut down trains

[PosterChild]

34. You think I'm confused?

Of course low wages, lack of health care and unfair labor practices are unjust. That's why I support the Organization United for Respect, OUR Walmart.

So what, exactly, does that have to do with playing dead in a mall, demanding that shoppers stop shopping and expecting the general populace to give up "materialism" for... for what? Instead, such actions and demands are objectively contrary to the material interests of the retail workers you claim to be concerned about.

Did I say "material interest"? Holy cow, isn't that "materialism"???? Well, yes it is. High wages and good benefits are materialistic values. Are retail clerks sinful for wanting a decent living? If materialist consumers aren't out shopping - if they "think twice before spending that dollar today" and feel guilty about it, where will those high wages and good benefits come from?

And exactly what does "materialism" have to do with Ferguson and Michel Brown's death? Are these shoppers responsible for that? Is blaming their lack of spiritual purity and making them feel guilty for this incident going to help that situation in any way? Or might they resent being accused for something they had nothing to do with and decide to just ignore the whole thing. And go back to shopping.

Antagonizing, vilifying and alienating the people you (I assume) hope to convince and bring to your side doesn't seem like a good strategy to me.

The OUR Walmart organization, however, is a different story. They have a concrete, focused and easy to understand set of interrelated core issues: low wages, poor benefits and lack of representation. They have an easy to identify "bad guy" who they are against: Walmart. And, as far as I can tell, they are trying to create solidarity and sympathy with the general populace, not antagonize, vilify and alienate them. That's the way it should be done.