Someone needs to tell Noah Stahl that April Fool’s Day is still more than a month away. His article about the “virtues of Wal-Mart” (“Twisting Wal-Mart’s virtues in vices,” Feb. 22) would be more fitting for the holiday. His article informing Daily readers that all the negative accusations flung at the store are sparked from “anger at Wal-Mart’s success,” and when “stripped of their deceptively negative language” are really “hysterical criticisms of positive qualities.”

The reader is then treated to Mr. Stahl’s interpretation of the charges and his “translations” of what they mean. Among these brilliant insights are that Wal-Mart does not exploit people, but gives the opportunity to “better their lives” as associates.

This, of course, is based on the assumption that by limiting employment options to a minimum-wage job for a company with a record of lawsuits and investigations for disproportionate pay to women, hiring of illegal immigrants and violations of child-labor laws, Wal-Mart is increasing the quality of life. This is a hard pill for me to swallow.

Yes, Wal-Mart has cheap prices, though the company also has cheap values and a complete disregard for its workers and labor laws, as illustrated by the tactic of locking its overnight workers in the store to avoid employee theft. Although Mr. Stahl might find it “refreshing” to see a company place profit for its CEO above any ethical standards, I believe anyone with a hint of compassion finds this repulsive. I also question anyone who praises a giant like Wal-Mart for closing a store rather than employing workers who have formed a union.

Here is an interesting thought, Mr. Stahl: maybe the angry opposition to Wal-Mart being “flung from every imaginable source” has less to do with anger over the success of Wal-Mart bigwigs and more to do with the drop in the quality of life of those unfortunate enough to have no better option than to work at the store.

Alex Catron

Junior

Political Science