Please DU this poll: should Wal-Mart be forced

[GrpCaptMandrake]

to stock the morning after emergency contraception pill?

"Yes" is running slightly behind "No."

http://edition.cnn.com/2006/LAW/02/01/walmart.contraception.ap/

[1620rock]

1. Done,

[WillyT]

2. Done !!!

:kick:

[Caoimhe]

3. Done & thanks for spotting that!

[Road Scholar]

4. Done! nt

[genieroze]

5. done

[TallahasseeGrannie]

6. How can we force a company to sell a product?

[cascadiance]

9. It's either that or we take away the privatized market segment

that's supposed to provide those sort of things to the people. Maybe they'd like not having to sell pharmaceuticals, etc. any more.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

33. Or compete against the government

I don't think they'd like that, either.

[Barak And Roll]

10. Wal-Mart has worked hard to be the only

store in many areas. Legislation could force them to stock the pill since so there are so many women for whom Wal-Mart is the only pharmacy within hours of their house.

[Jayhawk Lib]

35. Why is Walmart the only

store in many areas? The reason is the people in those areas chose to shop at Walmart than their local stores that have been in the area for years. Those people that choose to abandon those stores for better prices at Walmart are just as greedy.

Walmart comes into an area, which is their right, and people flock to it. Maybe we should make a law that people cannot shop for better prices. It really does not make much sense, does it.

[Barak And Roll]

43. No, that's not what I said at all...

Whether or not Wal-Mart became the only store in an area by being a better store or by shady practices (I tend to believe that did come to success by selling for less) the fact that they are now the only store in a region gives them a responsiblity to the people they serve.
When Wal-Mart is the only store you have access to, they need to be in the service business; they need to make products available to their customers and not let their morals affect their shoppers.
If a person needs a pill within 36 hours, but the only store within a reasonable drive refuses to fill his perscription, then that person is SOL. The state can ensure that Wal-Mart carries this pill and if they are at all interested in preserving the free market or lowering abortion rates, then they are obligated to do so.

[Charlie Brown]

52. What happens if the units don't sell?

I can guarantee you Wal-Mart will be requesting tax-breaks and subsidies for being forced to stock a product that may not sell. It's just giving them more ammo to exploit and profit even more.

And what about the small ma and pa pharmacies this could affect? If you have a fixed budget, it could be a big nuissance to stock something that might not sell.

Pressure Wal-Mart to sell what you want, but keep the gov't out of it.

[Lars39]

83. They chuck outdated meats, why not pills.

[Jayhawk Lib]

54. Walmart does not have to

even be there. They owe no one anything. It looks like an opportunity for someone to open a full service drug store if Walmart is not meeting their needs.

[Nevernose]

77. Illinois did so; call your LOCAL congressman!

Personally, I think too many of us here think too little about local solutions and local politicitians. I know that there are many exceptions to this observation, but a few L_TTEs and letters to your local representatives couldn't hurt.

This is a problem we obvioulsy can't solve at a national level, so work at a state or community level!

[garybeck]

78. i think this is overstepping

no company should be forced to sell a product. plus that would really energize the other side.

the minute we force a company to sell something we create a precedent that could get dangerous. where do you draw the line? why is this one particular product singled out? Maybe they should have to sell solar panels, or bibles, or what's next?

if they don't want to stock it, most people will have another drug store in town they can get it at. not to mention online.

[Charlie Brown]

79. Exactly

and I'm sure the gov't will start peddling the abstinence crap the moment we have them "force" Wal-Mart to sell the morning-after pill.

Why people who oppose Wal-Mart can't simply advocate for them to change their policies is beyond me. I guess it's always easier to turn the conservative gov't for help.

[Beaverhausen]

13. Do they stock viagra?

[Barak And Roll]

44. Yes.

Yes they do.

[Squatch]

15. Good question...

because if we can force WM to sell this, I think we all should call the gov't and have them force Budweiser to make a better beer.

[gollygee]

17. If they want to have customers who use Medicaid

then it can be forced.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

34. Excellent point

[Charlie Brown]

27. we can't

people here simply do not care for Wal-Mart, and want the gov't to punish them, regardless of the can of worms that will open for other pharmacies and businesses.

[leftofthedial]

60. no license to operate a pharmacy if they refuse to sell that

[Charlie Brown]

64. Does that include all pharmacies?

If ma and pa run a small pharmacy somewhwere where there's no demand for the morning after pill (a retirement community, maybe), should they be punished for not stocking it?

Or is it just Wal-Mart who should be coerced?

[leftofthedial]

81. it's not a question of refusing to stock it

it's a question of refusing to fill a legal prescription

your hypothetical pharmacy would be required to order the drug and fill the prescription if for some reason there were demand for it. They don't have to stock it though.

[Rhiannon12866]

7. Done and thanks for posting this. :-) n/t

[movonne]

8. done, but we need a few thousand more...

[Beaverhausen]

11. done

I wish the poll was "should Wal-Mart be forced to close all of their stores?"

[Sydnie]

12. 48 % yes

Should Wal-Mart be required to stock the "morning after pill"?

Yes 48% 62978 votes

No 52% 69354 votes
Total: 132332 votes

[HockeyMom]

14. My Insurance and WalMart

I just found out that if I want to get prescription glasses though my insurance I have to get them from WalMart and ONLY WalMart. I just applied for a credit card. If I have to CHARGE the entire cost of my glasses at premium prices, I am going to do that, rather than be FORCED to get them a WalMart.

[Charlie Brown]

16. A private company should not be "forced" to sell something

People here need to chill out about Wal-Mart. You do not have to shop there.

[Ron Green]

18. When a company monopolizes markets to the extent that it is essentially

the "public market," then different measures beyond simple competition must apply.

[Charlie Brown]

25. That's an argument against monopolies

Not to coerce them to sell certain drugs for a partisan agenda.

If you want legislation that sets limitatins for retail and grocery stores, I agree. Getting the gov't involved with policing which products stores sell just sounds like a bad idea.

If there's a market for the morning-after pill, I'm sure Wal-Mart will follow the money.

[readmoreoften]

31. There are TONS of towns in America that have no other stores.

Wal-mart destroyed the economies in these towns. My in-laws live in one. If I'm raped in this town and the only pharmacy is a Wal-mart, then what do you suggest?

[Charlie Brown]

46. I suggest a consumer-advoacy movement

to convince Wal-Mart to sell what you want them to.

We don't always have to involve the (conservative) gov't, now do we?

[Beaverhausen]

37. "a partisan agenda." so women are a partisan agenda?

Really? So if Wal Mart is the only pharmacy within 30-50-75 miles (and it is in many parts of the country) and a woman is raped, how is she to ensure that she can get the pill that is prescribed when she reports the crime to the police?

Or do you think she should just take the chance that she will get pregnant?

[TallahasseeGrannie]

38. Wouldn't the hospital where she goes for

treatment and to report the rape carry the medication?

[Balbus]

56. Yes, Grannie.

Don't be fooled by the strawman he's throwing up.

[Heddi]

57. Not if it's a catholic or other religious hospital

They do not have to provide "abortion" services because it is against their religion. In fact, one of the only 2 hospitals in my town (and the only 2 between here and the 3 hour drive to SEattle) used to be a catholic hospital. They got tired of turning women down to get tubal ligations after c-sections (because they don't believe in any form of birth control that isn't nautral), they just shut down the entire OB part of the hospital. Now, women are forced to cram themselves into the only hospital in a 200 mile radius that provides OB services.

So no, they won't necessarily get it from the hospital.

[GrpCaptMandrake]

58. Since many small hospitals are federally funded

they can't counsel along those lines or dispense such medications.

[Lars39]

62. You're assuming that she is going to report the rape.

Most rapes don't get reported.

[Squatch]

41. So, it's a matter of convenience, then?

:shrug:

[Beaverhausen]

47. convenience? where have I heard that before?

You don't fool me for one second.

[Squatch]

49. Excuse me? And you are implying what, exactly?

[Charlie Brown]

45. what if what if what if

"Or do you think she should just take the chance that she will get pregnant?"

How do you know Wal-Mart will not sell this anyway?

Why not pressure them as consumers, the same way Christians do over the "Merry Christmas" crap. Learn from the opposition.

[Beaverhausen]

48. the point of this thread is that wal mart won't sell the pill

aren't you even paying attention?

Did you read the article in the OP by the way?

[Charlie Brown]

50. Then change their minds

If everyone hates Wal-Mart the way some of you make out, it shouldn't be difficult to pressure the market.

Sorry, but if Wal-Mart doesn't want to sell the pill, their within their right.

[cascadiance]

42. It would seem Wal-mart has THEIR OWN partisan agenda

not selling these pills. If people want to buy it, why wouldn't they stock it? It really doesn't cost them much to stock such things any more than many other not often used drugs. This isn't about having a free market. It's about those in control of a local monopoly deciding for reasons (other than supply and demand) that they don't want to provide something in the market they have monopoly control over. That's wrong and that is why we have regulated markets for many things such as utility, so that utility companies that run those monopolies don't cherry pick what they offer to customers too.

If we had private enterprise running the postal service completely without government oversight, what's to stop them from stop providing mail service to some areas (or charging them very high prices for sending/receiving mail there). The pricing, etc. we have now for postage is in effect a legislated form of socialism to ensure that we all have equal access to that critical service. Drug sales such as this should have the same sort of regulations/oversight applied.

[Bill McBlueState]

74. birth control is a partisan agenda?

!

[Charlie Brown]

76. Forcing stores to sell it is, yes

Do you disagree?

[Beaverhausen]

19. see post #10

Wal Mart is the only store within many miles for some people.

[Charlie Brown]

20. Then start your own pharmacy, and sell what you want. n/t

[Beaverhausen]

23. what is your problem?

Do you have any clue about Wal Mart and their immoral business practices? I suggest you educate yourself.

here is a good place to start:

http://walmartwatch.com/blog/archives/dirty_stores_dirty_tricks/

[Balbus]

55. I think his problem is rather apparent.

He doesn't think a private business should be forced to sell anything. No one is forced to shop there and if there's limited places to shop then it sounds like a perfect place for an eager entrepreneur to set up shop and offer the product that Walmart won't sell.

[Squatch]

24. I agree with you.

Wal-mart is a private enterprise. The government has no business telling what they can stock on their shelves.

[hogwyld]

32. I agree

One freedom we still have is choosing where we want to spend our money. The soviet union tried centralized planning, and if I recall correctly, that didn't work out to well. If you want to force WM to sell something it doesn't want to, then you should be forced to do all your shopping at wallyworld.

[B Calm]

21. FORCED??? The only thing I want to force on them is a labor union!

[Jayhawk Lib]

39. That is up to the employees

to form a union. It is no one else's business. I know several people that work at Walmart and they are very happy.

One lady I know worked at an aircraft plant for 35 years and part time at Walmart for 10 years, retired from the aircraft plant but chose to keep her job at Walmart. She said the in the 10 years that she has been at Walmart, she has never missed a break and when her shift is over her supervisor insists that she remove her jacket and clock out and leave.

She has heard of some of the reported problems with employees expected to work after they were off of the clock, but she has a hard time believing them.

[Beaverhausen]

51. thats funny - cause all the wal mart employees I know work overtime...

...and get nothing for it.

You might want to check these out:

http://walmartwatch.com/

http://www.walmartmovie.com/

[Jayhawk Lib]

53. Absolute phony baloney site..

For some reason or another they have an ax to grind. I will take the word of my friends and acquaintances that work at Walmart.

The credibility of walmartwatch.com and www.walmartmovie.com is very questionable to say the least.

[readmoreoften]

63. And I'll take the word of every person I've ever known to work there

Including relatives and friends. I'll also look at the FACTS.

Or am I just wasting my time arguing with a freeper.

[Jayhawk Lib]

66. Have you talked to people that work at Walmart??

I have and none of them have bad things to say about Walmart. I will take their word over some phoney site that seems to have some sort of ax to grind.

Nobody has to work at Walmart and nobody has to shop at Walmart. If some businesses go out of business because of Walmart it is because the shoppers in that area chose to do business with Walmart.

It is about choice...Is choice a bad thing?

[Bill McBlueState]

73. hey, thanks for sticking up for the little guy

I'm sure the Waltons appreciate your heroic defense. :eyes:

I mean, come on, there are 49,000,000 other places I can go on the internet if I want to read a defense of big business.

[B Calm]

84. amazing.. I've been told that there are posters in DU who are not libs

[readmoreoften]

61. Hey thanks for your one ridiculous anecdote.

I'm glad that you know one person who is happy at Walmart. In fact, I bet you maybe even 5% of Walmart employees are happy! Big fucking deal.

A good chunk of Walmart's employees have been fighting for a union for years. But Walmart's union busting lear jet team comes and threatens any worker that comes within a foot of an employee who mentions the word 'union.' The company uses GOVERNMENT WELFARE as an employee health care plan, for chrissakes.

Did you ever think that this woman might be an idiot? I mean, 50% of Americans voted for Bush, too.

[phylny]

22. Done n/t

[graywarrior]

26. Done

[howmad1]

28. Done!

52% No, 48% Yes. C'mon guys/gals, get yer asses in gear and vote. We can't let the average moronic Wal-Mart shopper win this one.

[demigoddess]

29. done, If they plop themselves down right in the middle of town and

create traffic jams so you cannot get anywhere, I say they can be forced. As long as they sell, viagra, condoms etc, they should sell the whole range.

[Charlie Brown]

30. Complete with a gov't mandated abstinence guide

condemning "the homosexual lifestyle."

I'm always wary of getting the government involved in private commerce.

[demigoddess]

36. they already get that in school, along with the teachers ordered to buy

their school supplies from WM.

[mousie]

40. done and kicked

[unkachuck]

59. done....Yes 48%....n/t

[proud2BlibKansan]

65. They need to carry the birth control pill

[upi402]

67. done

[Rainscents]

68. Done!

[Straight Shooter]

69. Doctors' offices, clinics, hospitals should have this on-hand.

It requires a doctor's prescription, anyway.

I hate Wal-Mart, and this is one more reason why. Brittany Spears in her dominatrix outfit on glossy posters for sale, Viagra for men who want their nice little sex lives, but nothing to help women who may have been raped or made an error in judgment or the condom broke or whatever, who gives a rat's ass what their reason is, for crying out loud. These are grown women and Wal-Mart has no moral high ground to stand on and judge them, damn it. Most of their products come from a country with the highest abortion rate in the whole frickin' world.

Give us a break, Wal-Mart. Talk out of both sides of your mouth.

[dsc]

70. If you give the government the power to require Walmart

or any other pharmacy for that matter, to carry BC pills you also give the government the power to ban pharmacies from carrying them. I don't want Bush to have that power, thank you very much. I also don't want the likes of Kirk Fordice, Robert Taft, and George Voinovich to have that power. (three bad governors I lived under)

[GrpCaptMandrake]

80. The government already has the power

to prevent it. Heck, we withhold funding for Third World countries because they want to teach something besides abstinence. In this country, hospitals can't counsel anything approaching "abortion."

The morning after pill would be O-T-C by know were it not for the FDA, whose fundie-in-charge stonewalled the approval.

Can't recall the fundie's name off the top of my head, but he was divorced by his wife for his persistent demands for anal sex. He also authored a book on scriptural remedies for PMS. Really. No kidding.

[Cobalt Violet]

71. Only 48% no.

[yorkiemommie1]

72. done

n/t

[il_lilac]

75. done- still 48% yes n/t

[populistdriven]

82. BUMPIN