Wal-Mart Stands Behind Offensive Substance
To protest a Flagstaff, Arizona ballot proposal that would restrict giant grocery stores, Wal-Mart ran a newspaper ad featuring a famous Nazi book-burning photo and the following text: "Should we let government tell us what we can read? Of course not....So why should we allow local government to limit where we shop?" Perhaps thinking the photo was from its own in-house files, from when it bannedAmerica (The Book) , Wal-Mart says it didn't even realize the ad depicted Nazis. When people complained, the retailer apologized "for the use of the imagery." But the general idea of equating government censorship by force with a ballot item people can vote on? That Wal-Mart stands behind completely. "We will not back away from substance of the ads," exclaimed a Wal-Mart consultant, perhaps before advising his client to not be so shy about trumpeting its efforts to skimp on employee healthcare.— GREG BEATO
Wal-Mart To Apologize for Ad in Newspaper [AZ Daily Sun]
Call for Answers on Nazi Ad [Wal-Mart Watch]