Below is a reprint of three letters between an Alumni of Wheaton College and the Editor of the Alumni Magazine. They are in response to an article titled, “Defining Success,” published in the most recent issue of the Alumni Magazine. Dr. Prins saw another article published in response the alumni article written by Ariah Fine in Relevant Magazine titled, “What would it Take?”

Please comment on your thoughts regarding this dialogue:

January 11, 2005

Ms. Georgia I. Douglass
Editor
Wheaton [Magazine]

Dear Editor:

The article “Defining Success” (Winter 2005) failed to recognize that many well-meaning Christians work in companies which systematically violate the law and Christian principles, namely, social justice and defense of the poor. Wal-Mart was an ironic choice for an article on Christians’ success in business, given the company’s track record of breaking labor laws and paying poverty wages while receiving over $1 billion in public subsidies.

Wal-Mart executives may believe that their company helps the less fortunate, but the evidence shows that Wal-Mart harms the working poor. The average Wal-Mart employee earns just over $8 per hour (below the poverty level for a family of four), and only 38 percent of the employees receive company health care. Consequently, many workers have to rely on public assistance to provide for their families­at taxpayers’ expense. Furthermore, Wal-Mart’s substandard pay and health care benefits force nearby stores to cut their employees’ pay and benefits, leading to depressed wages and fewer jobs.

Class-action lawsuits representing thousands of workers charge that Wal-Mart regularly forced employees to work unpaid, off-the-clock overtime; deleted hours from time sheets; locked nighttime employees in the store; and discriminated against women. Wal-Mart’s Christian executives and managers must reconcile these practices with Malachi’s warning that God will “testify…against those who defraud laborers of their wages.”

These unethical practices are the consequence of a business philosophy and economic policies which sacrifice the public good for corporate profits. They also helped the Waltons become wealthiest family on earth. This is not the kind of “success” to which Christians should aspire.

I urge Wheaton [magazine] to publish an article on alumni who “speak up…for the rights of all who are destitute” (Proverbs 31:8), for example, by urging companies to pay workers a living wage, by preserving locally-owned businesses, and by seeking to curb corporations’ ability to amass wealth at the expense of ordinary citizens.

Sincerely,

Dr. Esther P., ‘94

**** [Feb. 7 email from the editor]

Dear Esther,

Thank you for your well-written, thoughtful letter about our article, “Defining Success.” I am always pleased to receive comments from alumni because it tells me that someone “out there” is actually reading our magazine.

I like to print letters to the editor that provide a different view on a matter, and perhaps I will quote something from your letter. But I do not feel that Wheaton magazine is a forum to be used to castigate any business. I am aware of the criticism of Wal-Mart, but I have also heard of opinions and studies to the contrary.

From my perspective, as I just now reread the section “Giving Back,” it seems that our alumnus believes in­and attempts to live out­the same Christian ethic that you are declaring. His words, “Success is . . . helping others who aren’t as fortunate,” aren’t too far from your quote of Proverbs 31:8.

Unfortunately, the very nature of a short snippet like this is limiting. The questions the interviewer asks guide the story; the number of words confines it; even the fact that the interview is by phone causes difficulties. So there is much of the story yet untold.

I truly appreciate letters that aren’t necessarily positive. They spur us on to think better about the issues we discuss in the magazine and our approach to the articles. Plus, suggestions from our readers, such as those from you, give us some terrific ideas for future stories.

So I thank you again for your insights.

Sincerely,

Georgia

****[my Feb. 7 counter-response]

Dear Georgia,

Thank you for your response to my letter. I am disappointed that Wheaton magazine is unwilling to print the letter, because I believe Wheaton alumni deserve to know how companies like Wal-Mart violate the Christian principles that we profess. Furthermore, I heard from several alumni who were also very disturbed the article.

Whether we are talking about Wal-Mart or any other company, the point still stands: We must separate the individual from the institution. The irony is that Christians like those highlighted in the article sincerely want to help the less fortunate, but we often fail to recognize how our employer’s policies and practices systematically undermine this Christian principles, as well as others. I am not questioning the sincerity of these individuals’ faith or beliefs, but rather the unethical and un-Christian practices of corporations like Wal-Mart.

I doubt that Wheaton [magazine] would have printed a story about alumni who work at tobacco, alcohol, or gambling companies, or who design marketing for such companies, yet Wal-Mart’s effect on communities has been just as damaging. I know that people have differing opinions about Wal-Mart, but to my knowledge there is no empirical evidence supporting the opinion that Wal-Mart is good for communities. Please send me the citation for any independent, empirical study showing that Wal-Mart has had a net positive effect on communities (other than the return on investment for shareholders).

Wal-Mart’s record in court shows that the case against the company is not grounded in opinions, but in facts and evidence. Specifically, Wal-Mart has already paid several hundred million dollars in fines for routinely breaking the law. Over and over, the company has been tried and found guilty in courts of law for, among other things, using child labor, forcing employees to work unpaid overtime, and hiring undocumented workers. Why is Wheaton [magazine] unwilling to publish a letter condemning a company that systematically breaks U.S. law and at least one of the Ten Commandments (i.e., stealing earned wages from workers)? If Christians won’t condemn these practices, who will?

I urge Wheaton [magazine] not to print any more articles which implicitly promote companies that break the law and/or biblical commandments. Had the alumni magazine not printed a story portraying Wal-Mart as a benign company, I would not have had to write a letter decrying its unethical, illegal, and un-Christian practices.

I hope that you will reconsider publishing the letter, or at least portions of it.

Sincerely,

Esther P.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Esther Prins, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Educational Leadership and Counseling Psychology
Washington State University
Pullman, WA 99164-2136

509-335-4301
509-335-6961 (fax)

esprins@wsu.edu