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Sound Off! calls for Oct. 31
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• An example of Wal-Mart doing good in state

For all the Wal-Mart bashing that I've read in the Courier in recent months, I took note of the fact that Wal-Mart Corporation just donated $1 million to the American Red Cross for the relief efforts due to the Southern California wildfires.

I think people should quick obsessing over Wal-Mart. It's just a store. They do good things, such as the $1 million donation this week. Let me read the story, "In addition to the cash contributions from the company's Foundation, local Wal-Mart stores and Sam's Clubs in California have responded with donations of water, clothing, blankets and other much-needed merchandise. In total, 20-plus trucks with more than $400,000 worth of merchandise have made deliveries to help with relief efforts. Wal-Mart has also set up collection sites in each of its 208 California-based stores and Sam's Clubs where customers can make cash donations to help support ongoing relief efforts."

I don't think Wal-Mart is such a bad neighbor. I just think that there are a lot of people who have nothing better to do than gripe about another retail business coming to town. I mean if Target wanted to be here, they would have already made a proposal.

Get real, you anti-Wal-Mart people!

• Teddy's view of immigration

Theodore Roosevelt's ideas on immigrants and being an American in 1907: "In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag... We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language... and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."