# Lowes -----WTF? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 14, 2011, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lowes-wtf/606228 "2011-12-14T21:35:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lowes-wtf/606228/61 "2011-12-16T03:34:25Z")
The Lowe’s defense reminds me of businesses that used to not allow ‘coloreds’ but defended it as an economic decision, not one of racism. ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lowes-wtf/606228/62 "2011-12-16T04:08:36Z")
> [@WolfpackJeep](#): > > Home Depot’s corporate policies are otherwise good; No, actually they aren’t. > [@](#): > > [Bailout Recipients Hosted Call To Defeat Key Labor Bill](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/27/bank-of-america-hosted-an_n_161248.html) > > Three days after receiving $25 billion in federal bailout funds, Bank of America Corp. hosted a conference call with conservative activists and business officials to organize opposition to the U.S. labor community’s top legislative priority. > > Participants on the October 17 call – including at least one representative from another bailout recipient, AIG – were urged to persuade their clients to send “large contributions” to groups working against the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), as well as to vulnerable Senate Republicans, who could help block passage of the bill. > \*\* > Bernie Marcus, the charismatic co-founder of Home Depot, led the call\*\* along with Rick Berman, an aggressive EFCA opponent and founder of the Center for Union Facts. Over the course of an hour, the two framed the legislation as an existential threat to American capitalism, or worse. > \*\* > “This is the demise of a civilization,” said Marcus. “This is how a civilization disappears. I am sitting here as an elder statesman and I’m watching this happen and I don’t believe it.”\*\* > > Donations of hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars were needed, it was argued, to prevent America from turning “into France.” > \*\* > “If a retailer has not gotten involved in this, if he has not spent money on this election, if he has not sent money to [former Sen.] Norm Coleman and all these other guys, they should be shot. They should be thrown out their goddamn jobs,” Marcus declared.\*\* If anyone should be thrown out of his goddamn job or taken out and shot it’s Bernie Fucking Marcus. Don’t shop at Home Depot, either. Use your local lumber store and local hardware, lighting, plumbing and appliance stores. Fuck the big boxes. > [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](#): > > Yes they will. A little anyway. I’m buying a bunch of stuff right now and I purposely went to Home Depot yesterday instead of Lowes. Think about not doing that again. See above for who you’re supporting. > [@Skammer](#): > > I went to the website and used the “Contact Us” link to find the form where I could send them an email – which took some doing. I wrote a very polite but firm note explaining how disappointed I was in their decision, and how I could not in good conscience continue to shop there unless they changed their minds. When I submitted the form I got the message: > > "We are having a problem with our Application. > Thank you for visiting [Lowes.com](http://Lowes.com). Our site is currently down due to technical issues but will return soon. > > We apologize for any inconvenience." [robert.a.niblock@lowes.com](mailto:robert.a.niblock@lowes.com) ---
**Author:** ![Long\_Time\_First\_Time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ad7895/32.png) [@Long\_Time\_First\_Time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Long_Time_First_Time)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lowes-wtf/606228/63 "2011-12-16T18:16:25Z")
On the other hand - I knew the brother of the guy who founded Menards. He was a real stand up guy - and his brother (when Menards was still localMidwest but already very successful) helped him out a great deal when he was starting out. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lowes-wtf/606228/64 "2011-12-16T18:45:09Z")
Can I shop at Ace? I need to go \*somewhere \*when my house breaks. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lowes-wtf/606228/65 "2011-12-16T20:34:22Z")
A hotel? ---
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lowes-wtf/606228/66 "2011-12-16T21:50:33Z")
> [@Shayna](#): > > No, actually they aren’t. If anyone should be thrown out of his goddamn job or taken out and shot it’s Bernie Fucking Marcus. Don’t shop at Home Depot, either. Use your local lumber store and local hardware, lighting, plumbing and appliance stores. Fuck the big boxes. Think about not doing that again. See above for who you’re supporting. That’s just stupid. Bernie retired from Home Depot back in 2002. He came out against the labor bill in 2008. His opinions were not expressed as a member of Home Depot’s board, because he wasn’t one and hadn’t been for six years. “Thrown out of his job?” He doesn’t work there, you idiot! Sheesh. [cite](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_Marcus) ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lowes-wtf/606228/67 "2011-12-16T22:00:23Z")
> [@A Monkey With a Gun](#): > > That’s just stupid. Bernie retired from Home Depot back in 2002. He came out against the labor bill in 2008. His opinions were not expressed as a member of Home Depot’s board, because he wasn’t one and hadn’t been for six years. “Thrown out of his job?” He doesn’t work there, you idiot! Sheesh. > > [cite](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_Marcus) I say we give him his job back! And then we’ll stomp him! And then we’ll tattoo him! Then we’ll hang him, and _then_ we’ll kill him! [YEAH](http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=E88HEuwInno#t=20s)!!! ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lowes-wtf/606228/68 "2011-12-16T22:03:43Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Send them an email or go to their Facebook site and complain like I and 24,000 others did. 24,001 - before this thread I emailed them. I’m sad now that I shopped mostly Lowes for supplies when I bought my fixer-upper house last summer but I certainly won’t again unless they have a change of heart. I just had to buy a mouse trap and garbage bags today - went to my local Ace hardware store. Fuck big box stores; I’ll shop locally-owned as long as they’re competitively priced. ---
**Author:** ![Caffeine.addict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f475e1/32.png) [@Caffeine.addict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caffeine.addict)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lowes-wtf/606228/69 "2011-12-16T22:16:16Z")
> [@chiroptera](#): > > 24,001 - before this thread I emailed them. I’m sad now that I shopped mostly Lowes for supplies when I bought my fixer-upper house last summer but I certainly won’t again unless they have a change of heart. > > I just had to buy a mouse trap and garbage bags today - went to my local Ace hardware store. Fuck big box stores; I’ll shop locally-owned as long as they’re competitively priced. That’s usually the catch. My locally owned True Value hardware store is usually a bit pricier than the Home Depot or the Lowes and doesn’t carry nearly as much stuff. They are better however at carrying the more unusual stuff that the houses here may require and if you need to ask someone a question about whether an item is appropriate. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lowes-wtf/606228/70 "2011-12-16T22:43:58Z")
> [@Caffeine.addict](#): > > That’s usually the catch. My locally owned True Value hardware store is usually a bit pricier than the Home Depot or the Lowes and doesn’t carry nearly as much stuff. They are better however at carrying the more unusual stuff that the houses here may require and if you need to ask someone a question about whether an item is appropriate. I know this is a bit of an OT…but several years ago when I had to replace a water heater, I bought it from Lowes because it was cheaper than HD - then found out that my local Ace store would have done it even cheaper yet. The electronic mouse trap isn’t carried by anyone locally but my nearest Ace store will have it for me in a few days. They also helped me rewire (for no charge) a lamp last year and quite frankly I’ll spend an extra buck or three for really good service. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lowes-wtf/606228/71 "2011-12-16T22:52:42Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > I am very glad that the program sought to dispel some of the more egregious stereotypes, but clearly it hasn’t worked. It didn’t work for one small group of people who are never going to be convinced, but it did work for many others. Prior to this current controversy, I had followed a thread about the show on a general T.V. board. There were a number of people there expressing how the show had opened their eyes to aspects of Muslim culture of which they were not previously aware, and who were genuinely intrigued by the ordinariness of the people portrayed. Of course the people who actually learned from the show aren’t the ones begging for media attention, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t work at least a little bit. The main problem most people have with the show is that it’s just very boring. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lowes-wtf/606228/72 "2011-12-17T02:45:48Z")
So we’ll all commit to shopping at locally owned small businesses that do not succumb to radical pressures. True, they do not have enough advertising dollars to be pressured, but we can’t all afford the hotel option. ---
**Author:** ![Kolga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e56c9b/32.png) [@Kolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolga)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lowes-wtf/606228/73 "2011-12-17T03:34:42Z")
> [@SpoilerVirgin](#): > > The main problem most people have with the show is that it’s just very boring. I wonder if it’s boring because if the way it’s filmed, or because it shows that for the most part, being an American Muslim is boring in the same way as being an American whatever is boring. As in, were people expecting jihad and ranting against the American devil and all that, whereas the people on the show did normal stuff like shop for groceries and pay bills and mow the lawn. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lowes-wtf/606228/74 "2011-12-17T06:50:09Z")
> [@Kolga](#): > > I wonder if it’s boring because if the way it’s filmed, or because it shows that for the most part, being an American Muslim is boring in the same way as being an American whatever is boring. As in, were people expecting jihad and ranting against the American devil and all that, whereas the people on the show did normal stuff like shop for groceries and pay bills and mow the lawn. It’s not that the viewers were expecting radical activities; it’s that watching people shop for groceries and mow the lawn is boring. People liked the first episode, because they got to see Muslims just being normal Americans, but it isn’t something they really wanted to continue watching week after week. To be fair, if the “Real Housewives” shows had anything to do with what real housewives do all day, they’d have been cancelled a long time ago. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lowes-wtf/606228.md?page=3)