This is somewhat of a rant, so be prepared.
Yesterday, we went to WalMart to do our once-every-two-weeks shopping. As I entered the store, I thought about how the store used to sell all American-made items. Then I was saddened to think how few American-made items we can find in any store today.
I began going down my shopping list. One of the very first items on the list could not be found anywhere. I stopped one of the employees in the department where I thought the item would be found and asked about it. She barely spoke any English and seemed totally dumbfounded as to what I wanted. I smiled and moved on.
Still not finding the item that I’ve bought there at the beginning of the Christmas holiday selling season in former years, I stopped another employee. She couldn’t speak English. She held up her finger and indicated that she would get help for me. The person she brought back to me barely spoke English and again was at a loss to help me.
We continued our shopping, giving up on the purchase of what I had tried to find.
As we approached the middle of the store, I once again thought I’d try to ask where the item I couldn’t find may be, if it wasn’t where I had looked. I stopped another employee. Again, she couldn’t speak English. This time I simply walked away shaking my head.
Near the end of our shopping experience, I had trouble finding another item on my list. Knowing that in the past, the store did carry it, I dared to ask yet another employee about this one. Guess what? She couldn’t speak English. She called another woman over to help. Guess what? She couldn’t speak English either. I threw my hands up and said, “Never mind!”
Now, I ask you, are we still living in America in Houston, Texas…or has the state slipped into another country? We are still flying the American flag. I do hear English being spoken on most occasions outside of our home. Do I have the right to expect people working in a store like WalMart in an American city to speak ENGLISH (or American if you want to be technical about the language)? If I were living in Mexico, or any other country, and decided to get a job there, I would make sure that I could converse in the language of that country. Is it too much to expect in this country? Really?
Sharon K. Connell 