[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 15687]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    RETAIL RESPONSIBILITY--WAL-MART

  (Mr. PITTS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I learned recently that two large retail 
chains in middle America can truly make a difference when it comes to 
keeping violence and filth out of our young kids' minds.
  I think both Wal-Mart and K-Mart should be commended for their recent 
stance on culture within the marketplace. These superstores may not be 
perfect, but they are taking an active role in not selling some of the 
extraordinarily violent and offensive music that could be lining their 
shelves and raking in the cash.
  Some of the music they chose not to carry is climbing up the charts, 
but since so many parents have objected to its profanity and reference 
to suicide, these stores have pulled some albums from the shelves.
  Mr. Speaker, do not get me wrong, these are mega-marts, not mega-moms 
or mega-dads, but they are proving that taking a small stand in the 
marketplace against the increasingly corrupt culture can be done, even 
if it means foregoing an influx of cash.

                          ____________________