Do Big-Box Stores Help Create Hate Groups? Study Says Yes

[PoliticalTiger]

While big-box retailers might offer the lowest prices, they also may be altering a community's social and economic fabric enough to promote the creation of hate groups, new research shows.

According to the study by professors at Penn State University, New Mexico State University and Michigan State University, the number of Wal-Mart stores in a county correlates significantly with the number of hate groups in the area.

The amount of Wal-Mart stores in a county was more statistically significant than other factors commonly regarded as important to hate group participation, such as the unemployment rate, high crime rates and low education, the research found.

{...}

A key factor is that many local merchants are forced out of business after finding it difficult to compete against large retailers, according to the study.
Local business owners are typically members of community and civic groups, such as the Kiwanis and Rotary clubs, which help establish programs promoting civic engagement and fostering community values. Goetz said losing members of such groups may cause a drop in community cohesion.

http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/2347-bi...roups.html

[SeattleGirl]

Wow, that's really interesting, PT. As I said in another thread, I really detest WalMart but it had never occurred to me that their presence in a community could be coorelated to hate groups.

[KonaKane]

When I was living in Las Cruces NM, the Walmart that opened there was making a big deal out of being draped in US flags all the time...and holding very loud Christian revivals on Sunday mornings. This created a large subculture of white, blue collar and very undereducated people who were hostile to nonChristians, non-whites and later of course, unions and the multicultural elements of the society there. It isn't a long jump at that point to sentiments of hate, which would coalesce into groups. They were a petrie dish for it.

The findings of a study like this really doesn't surprise me.

[janedrake]

(04-25-2012 12:26 AM)KonaKane Wrote:  When I was living in Las Cruces NM, the Walmart that opened there was making a big deal out of being draped in US flags all the time...and holding very loud Christian revivals on Sunday mornings. This created a large subculture of white, blue collar and very undereducated people who were hostile to nonChristians, non-whites and later of course, unions and the multicultural elements of the society there. It isn't a long jump at that point to sentiments of hate, which would coalesce into groups. They were a petrie dish for it.

The findings of a study like this really doesn't surprise me.

Wow, that's really interesting, KonaKane - also years ago, I lived in Alamagordo, NM for about a year - small world!

[KonaKane]

(04-25-2012 07:55 AM)janedrake Wrote:  Wow, that's really interesting, KonaKane - also years ago, I lived in Alamagordo, NM for about a year - small world!

No kidding! I don't know Alamagordo well but drove by it a couple of times. That was where the open air A bombs first went off, right?

[jaxx]

And Walmart sells all those guns!