I will never shop at Target again.
 

I got this off another site.

____________________________________________

I got this in a email and thought all who support our troops and are currently serving should read.

We asked our local Target store to be a sponsor of the Vietnam
Veterans' Memorial Wall during our spring recognition event. We
received back a reply from Target management that "veterans do not meet our
area of giving". We only donate to the areas of the arts, social actions, gay
and lesbian causes, and education."

My thought: If the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall and veterans in general, do
not meet their donation criteria, something is wrong at Target.

We were not asking for thousands of dollars, not even hundreds, but simply
sponsorship of an endorsement for a "memorial remembrance."

As follow-up, I E-mailed the corporate headquarters and their
response was the same.

Personally, I will NOT be purchasing anything at Target Stores
again. If the Vietnam Veteran or Veterans in general do not meet
their area of giving, then why should I, as a Vietnam veteran,
spend my hard earned money in the ir stores?

Please pass this on to as many people as you know.

Sincerely,
Veterans Helping Veterans

PS: Target will also not allow the Marines to
collect for Toys For Tots during the holidays.

That is ridiculous. It is easy enough for me to go to Wal- Mart instead, which is exactly what I will do.

Right on!!!............They will donate to a bunch of fudge packers but not to veterans.

Idiots,

Sounds like I will be boycotting Target, but as for going to Wal-mart instead, they are horrible in their own right. They give full-time employees no benefits and pay them so little in some cases that they are eligible for welfare!

first of all, don't beleive everything you read. secondly, if your intriqued about it, please do some more research before labeling an entity w/ libel an slander. thats unprofessional. I work for Target an I know we do a lot for our community but i also know some inside information about our organization. . we also do alot of social work. march is youth reading awarness month an we had in store employees reading to kids, going to schools to read. we do a visa credit program by which 1% of all purchases go to the k-12 school of our guest's choice.. we sponsor the Redcross, March of dimes, Salvation Army, Target house... we actually do a lot of things for giving back to the community...

but we can't do everything.

Target has decided not to tackle verteran affairs. I can assure you that this policy was in place long before 9/11 or GW II, (45 years I beleive) that's our choice just because a lot of extra paperwork, security, and personel goes into that specifically securing accouting practices, making sure collected donations are recorded and acurately accounted for. A Lot of paperwork that i'm sure i'm leaving out also.
depending on which location you go to (Target, SuperTarget, Marshalls, Mervyns..) each store is its own entitiy based on a coorporate design (store layout/design, products, policies, and community action/charity causes. but some of the cooporate policies are frequently changed jus due to overwhelming support from an area.

as far as charity goes. anybody can write a check, thats simple/albeit somewhat hollow sincerity. but to actually take the time to interact w/the community through service programs is greater in my opinion.

ps. we offer full benefits, competitive wages, for ALL employees

I don't buy you response Oh no 5.0.

"Tackling Veteran's affairs"? WTF?

It's not like they were asking for a new VA hospital. All they wanted was to be able to say that Target supported the remembrance. Oooh, big cost there.

Are you Target's CFO? Controller? Cash receipts clerck? I was under the impression that they don't tell everyone that they hand a paycheck to all the internal controls that surround handling money, and especially methods of soliciting donations.

But then what do I know, I'm only an accountant. :rolleyes:

How about you, as such an insider, find out why they chose to not give a rip about the guys that came back to a country that could apparently care less. Then you can jump down our throats about it.

no Duece, i'm a wage slave. but our philosophy is to work as a team. i work with very open management that cares what i think, wants to hear whats wrong or good, an values my input to make the store better. those that care about the company can get any info they need to better improve the store, there are no walls in my company, only open doors.

.the fact is our charity can only stretch so far. we give 2 Million a week back to the community..not through simple money contributions, but through community involvement, volunteer programs,etc.

why the bring the veteran thing up now? cause of the war? did you hate us before you found out? or are you riding the "patriot bandwagon" instead of thinking logically? we're a finite entity an we can't please everybody who asks for contributions or recognition...but that dosen't mean we don't respect them or their cause.

i'm sorry if we don't parade every kiwinis club, girl scout troop, or other charity in front of the store to intimidate our guests, we jus beleived you came to shop, not be solicited.

I know my location respects all of our veterans,(have a few workin for us) but we also believe that signing a simple piece of paper, endorsing something, pales to what our true gratitude is. its a bit hollow an we'd rather thank you in person.

The reason I get upset when anybody, anytime speaks out against, or merely fails to support our military (and our vets) is really quite simple. I know people active and retired in the service from E-1's to Col.'s.

I've seen first hand the effect it has one these guys coming home and trying to blend back in with the rest of us. I've been privaleged enough to hear their stories, stories they keep from their own wives and daughters because of the horrors of what they've seen and had to do.

Forgive me for being a little defensive. That happens when you have a family member who's a Vietnam Vet. It's dang near impossible to get information out of him, and I'm floored any and everytime I do.

hey deuce i'm not mad at ya man, its kool to see someone passionate about an issue. beats the hell out of lethargy.:) i

is it wrong we choose not to "officially sponsor" an organization dedicated to VFW or is it more meaningful an personal when we welcome servicemen an vets an shake their hands? i don't know. i kinda perfer the second one though.

as a 2 time combat zone vet, target will get none of my business, straight up. that's lame,sorry but thats how it is, they support fag's, but not vet's, what the hell is wrong with that picture, quite a bit,i hope target sink's like k-mart, damn. :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :rolleyes:

the internet is often used to spread silly crap like this all the time... so all the vets can cool down, go to:

http://www.snopes.com/politics/military/target.php

and save the site in your favorites...when you get a wierd email...search it here first. Odds are it will pop up as a chain letter...

I still will not shop at target ,I have 2 friends in the gulf right now.

and any american company or person that will not support our troops but will support gays will not get my money.............

Did you READ the whole article? perhaps a better question is do you understand what happened?

It is not an issue of supporting gays/military... regardless of your personal feelings, EVERY American has certain civil liberties no matter what thier sexual orientation is. I HAVE to believe this or I would have been wasteing the past 11 years of my life (with 9 to go) in the Marine Corps. Discrimination on any level is still just that...

Anyway, I am done with my ranting and wont engage in this debate anymore.

hey ed, thanks for bunkin this urban myth.

Sears Roebuck does the Right Thing
 

For those who are seeking an alternative to Target - for whatever reason - here's something that may be of interest.

Sears announced last week that they will extend benefits and supplemental pay for their employees who are calle to active military duty. Sears said it will supplement the difference of salary between civilian pay and military service pay because military pay is generally lower and places financial hardships on those called to active duty.

Sears also gives its military employees the option of continuing to participate in the company's medical, dental and 401(k) plans.

Classy - and worth remembering when you plan your shopping, especially if you are put off by Target or any other outlet. Here's an alternative.

That is nice to hear Mr. 5.0. Thanks for the input.

Perhaps I was a little quick to judge Target on this one. With chain letters and other 'scams' all over the net, I should know better than to jump to conclusions on something like this.

Thanks to those that are letting level heads prevail on this thread :).

Shop Smart! Shop S-Mart!
 

Or K-mart as the case may be... :p

"Kresgee"-Mart (in case you were wondering what the K stands for) is Chapter 11. Good chance to revive an old company instead of pumping into that monopoly Wal-Mart if you are set on boycotting Target.

Personally, it won't change my shopping habits. Why? There are no Targets near me. I only have K-mart and Wal-mart to choose from anyway... :)

Re: Sears Roebuck does the Right Thing
 

OMG! Not trying to be an ****** here Jim but, so does every other major corporation. I'm starting to think its a law or something. Its like pulling Jury Duty, the company pays the difference. Nothing against Sears but do they honestly have any full -time employees?? Seriously?!? I think they were one of the first to cut back to only part-time help to save money on benefits to thier workers.

As for me, I'll shop Targets any chance I get, I'll shop Wal-mart too. Sears?? I go there when I need something. We all need something at sometime or another and one is as good as the next as long as it says Made In America on the label. Believe me, I spent a whole day looking for deck shoes that where made in the good old USA. As far as I'm concerned, they all should carry items that are made in America, thats what I personally look for.....

Duece, you're an ******* and I'm sure you've heard that before. I curse the day you found the mustangworks.

I worked at target for awhile in high school and this is what i found out:
Target is a scumbag corporation just like any corporation that will donate to charities to get recognition and advertisement, Vietnam was a controversial war and it's most likely Target is afraid of their image being affiliated with the Vietnam war. Corporate target thinks in terms of dollars, like any other company so a minority group like vietnam vets are not a prime demographic.

The "team" atmosphere/philosophy is a brainwashing technique used to keep employees happy with crappy wages and if you're family you're alot less likely to steal or be angry at the company. The target "team" is just like any other company "team". notice how every crappy job describes people working in "teams". I also worked at Jack in the Box during my first year of high school where i was a "crew member" making minimum wage without any benefits and i was supposed to be a "productive part of a team". Every company does this in one way or another, but the ones that emphasize it the most are usually doing it to boost morale for other areas that are lacking.
I'd much rather make good wages and have personal responsibility than be part of a team, but that's just me.

I have very biased opinions, and they are just that: opinions, but i don't shop at target anymore anyway because of how phony the company was as well as the people running it. I also don't eat at Jack in the box for a few reasons i won't disclose (things every jack in the box store does that worry me). and also for how phony the company and it's policies were. In fact, i don't like much of any companies but those two are highest on my hate list.

My rambling is done,
Over and out

Hey, I bought some decent(cheap) dishware from Target once.. was a 4 place set until someone dropped a plate.

RBatson - You bring up some very good points about Sears too.

Maybe we are all over-analyzing all of this. Why don't we just shop where it is convenient and try to buy American when it is available :D?

I suppose if we quit shopping or buying from companies that had policies we didn't agree with, there would be no place left to buy from.....

Re: Re: Sears Roebuck does the Right Thing
 

Originally posted by RBatson:

Quote:

OMG! Not trying to be an ****** here Jim but, so does every other major corporation. I'm starting to think its a law or something. Its like pulling Jury Duty, the company pays the difference. Nothing against Sears but do they honestly have any full -time employees?? Seriously?!? I think they were one of the first to cut back to only part-time help to save money on benefits to thier workers.

Rick:

The thread was about Target Stores and their attitudes regarding a specific veterans issue. I was simply stating a fact regarding Sears policy toward their military employees called up for duty in Operation Iraqi Freedom and offering them as a shopping alternative to Target.

I'm sure Sears has plenty of full time employees but probably not as salespeople that you see on the selling floor. It's NOT a law for any company to make up the difference in pay between military and civilian paychecks but simply a good PR move and more importantly, a way to keep valuable employees happy. Retail department stores work on fairly short profit margins in many cases and have always been low-paying places to work with bad hours and crappy conditions. That was the case 100 years ago and it hasn't changed a bit. They also don't require very much to get hired except the ability to breathe. We like the low prices we pay at these places and part of that comes from the stores keeping overhead down by paying chicken-feed wages and requiring a lot of effort for the money in most cases. Department stores also are the victims of massive theft looses, a lot of it from those low-paid and resentful employees. Tough business.

For the record, I don't work for a department store or have any financial interest in any of them. I was simply making a suggestion for alternative stores to Target for those who didn't wish to shop there anymore. Obviously that doesn't include you.

Re: Re: Re: Sears Roebuck does the Right Thing
 

thank you, 5.0. i know retail isn't exactly brain surgery, but i like my boss, the people i work with, an the fact that I HAVE a job. as for 84lx89Gt's comment about his experiance workin for the "bulls eye" the only thing i can ask is where did you work in highschool? shopping cart attendant? cashier? because the only people allowed to work 40hrs and up are 19yrs + employees..which excludes most high school kids out. even then we prefer you to have some other job history. and if you're like any of the highschool kids we have working here an you only work 3-days a week, hello! of course your gonna get pay cut, your lowest of the low on the totem pole; an frankly, calling out of work on weekends when we do most of our weekly revenue dosen't exactly push you to the front of the promotion list in the eyes of a supervisor... sorry, but you reap what you sew. an if you don't give a crap about your job, your gonna get crapped on.

Ed- thanks for debunking the myth.

Jim- Insightful, as always.

Rick- I'm not sure who put the stick in your arse this morning, but it wasn't me. Nice dyslexia too.

Let's see. . . I'm a veteran, (although I don't have any of the issues many have with their association with the military machine) Target doesn't think folks like me are worth tackling. . . .I think I've walked into my last Target store. See. . .it's like this, Target has every right to use their money and resources any way they see fit.
I on the other hand have every right to not endorse Target. As a citizen of this great country, I also have the right to speak of my decision in public whether Target thinks it is libel or schmibel.

jeeze, I thought we settled this.. i'm bringin home a company letterhead tonight to put this away once an for all.. because yes, our p.r people have gotten word of this sheistey *** chain letter bull bein put out into circulation, an are here to shut this thing up.

i am now boycotting target!
 

why does target choose to support gay and lesbians causes and choose to NOT support causes that have to do with our veterans? we as americans owe our veterans greatly. if it were not for our veterans and our military we would not have the thriving capitalism that we enjoy and take for granted today. i personally will never shop at target again because of this matter. i will also let other people know about targets coperate views concerning our veterans. personally, i think our veterans deserve a lot more support than what they currently receive. i love our country and i would not want to live anywhere else in the world! we as americans owe our freedom, prosperity, and livelyhood to god and our veterans.


p.s.- i also do not have any use for anti-war protestors!

bryan manduley

I had to back up and read Ed's post, I was a little premature.
Finally, i had a reason to tell the little woman "No, I don't want to go to Target" "They are discriminating agains't me and my fellow Amurricans."
Target, I retract my earlier statement, but I still reserve the right to use the aforementioned excuse as I see fit.
(if my wife ever mentions their anti-veteran stance. . . . just smile and think pleasant thoughts)

printed on workbench on our intranet. dated 3/20/03

"Thank you for contacting Target to inquire about our support of veterans. Unfortunately, a letter has been circulating via email for nearly a year that misrepresents Target's support of veterans. due to the nature of the internet and email communication, this false information has been perpetuated and modified many times by unknown writers. in fact the National Veterans of Foreign Wars posted a press release on their website on Dec. 6, 2002 to help clarify this issue at http://www.vfw.org/news/target.htm.

Target Corporation does support our veterans and is grateful for the efforts of our men and women in uniform. in fact, for years Target has donated funds and volunteer hours to local and national veteran and military organizations around the country. for example, Target is a sponsor of the national 2003 tour of "The Wall That Heals," a Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund outreach initiative that honors our veterans and has a strong educational component for schools. Target Corporation also counts many veteran and military reservists among its more than 300,000 team members nationwide. To help support these team members, Target corporation provides benefits for activated reservists that surpass those benefits required by law. The Reserve Officers Association has recognized our company for these benefits. in addition to supporting veteran and military organizations on a national scale, we also support local organizations, including:

*Eastern Paralyzed Veterans Association in Jackson heights,NY

*Hays County Veterans in San Marcos,Tx

*Kenny Nickelson Memorial Foundation for Homeless Veterans in Manhattan Beach, Ca

* Disabled American Veterans Auxiliaries in Allen Park, Mi/Santa Fe Springs, CA

*Yankee Air Force Museum in Yipsilanti, Mi

*Department of the Army (Fort Hood, Tx)

Target gives to diverse causes that reflect all types of guests in a wide variety of communities. any nonprofit organization may apply for a grant. in general, the organizations program or service to be funded by the grant should meet our giving guidelines related to arts, education, and family violence prevention. While every cause is worthy, Target is unable to grant funds or partner with every organization. For more information that describes the guidelines and the application process, visit any Target store and ask for the grants brochure or go to Target.com and click on"community giving". Thank you for taking the time to inquire about this issue. We wholeheartedly support our veterans and active duty personel and we apprcaiate the concern about this issue.

Don't use the link above... use my "quoted" one:

The "." was messing it up

Re: Re: Re: Re: Sears Roebuck does the Right Thing
 

I worked during and AFTER i graduated high school, not for very long (around seven months) because i moved. Also you ASSUME i didn't give a crap about my job and that i called in sick on weekends.....well i NEVER called in sick and i worked all the hours available, plus 40 hours a week after i graduated (while i was 18!). I worked as a cart attendant/cashier/stocker so i was at the bottom of the totem pole, but that doesn't make their "system" any better. you have a negative attitude towards teenage kids just like my employers did, which may be understandable, but sucks none the less which was part of my point. Even hard working employees at the store that had been there for years were treated like crap.

"sorry, but you reap what you sew. an if you don't give a crap about your job, your gonna get crapped on." You don't know me OR my work ethic, i was nice to customers and other employees and when someone needed a day off i would step up and fill in. Don't assume because i had a bad experience it was my fault, i had a good experience with the Seattle Times even though i made EVEN less money and worked everyday plus 3:00 morning deliveries on weekends, and i also have worked for Firestone and they were a much better company to work for in benefits and treatment. The reason i left was because i was moving 20 miles away (i'm not going to commute for a poor paying job with bad management) and most of the people who had reviews got denied raises. Maybe it was ****** management at this one store, but i wasn't impressed with the individual store or the corporate side either when i read/had to deal with their policies. Just like you don't seem to trust your teenage employees, the store had a 5 person loss prevention team each day that not only would FOLLOW the employees into the back rooms but follow them with the cameras and watch them with hidden cameras in the backrooms. A company with that little trust of employees generally treats them like garbage, which is of course my opinion.

Again, Just my opinion, didn't mean to say you haven't had a good experience, i just didn't have one myself.

Nor can I.

If you start to look at every little move a company makes and everything they support or don't support and who the people they support support I think you'll find something somewhere that may upset you or not go along with you train of thought. I'm a union worker from a union family, Coors brewing is anti-union, I still drink thier beer from time to time.

I agree that everyone has thier right to support who they wish and the right to not shop anywhere they choose, gotta love the good ole USA.:) I do think there is alot of finger pointing nowadays and much misunderstanding.

Re: Re: Re: Sears Roebuck does the Right Thing
 

Heeh, obviously not. I actually quit shopping at Sears way back when they changed thier policies on having full time workers, I knew someone that worked there. I shop there these days and I look for the Made in America logo. My outlook has changed alot over the years. I found it didn't help to hold alittle grudges against someone for voicing thier opinions or supporting who they support because you may drive 10 more miles and shop at a store that has the same policies and you don't even know it. Then there is the problem of 'I can't shop there because of this and I can't go there because of that.' I look at it on a larger scale now and try to buy American whenever possible. I also don't believe everything in print...

I realize its not a law, I was just making a point.:D

BTW, I have come up with a way to stimulate the economy. I still don't think handing everyone $300 is really gonna help that much. However, if they started making credit card interest and car loan interest a tax deduction again... there would be some motivation for the general public to buy things. Just a thought