It's always inspiring to hear or see about someone who reaches self-sufficiency through sheer hard work and perserverance. Such is the story of Wal-mart employee "Noemi", a fellow Texan Hispanic. You might have seen her on one of Wal-mart's commercials extolling the opportunities the company offers its employees (associates).
What irks me somewhat about the ad is the way Noemi just seems to blow off food stamps once she gets some financial stability. In the ad, Noemi says "Once I got the job at Wal-mart, things started changing immediately. Then I wrote a letter to the food stamp office-thank you very much I don't need your help anymore." If you just read the text of her statement, it doesn't seem half as bad as when you hear it. After all, she does say "thank you" for the food stamp program which helped through what must have been tough times raising a family of four by herself. It's when you hear her tone of voice and the dismissive way she says "I don't need your help anymore" that makes it sound an attack on the food stamp program itself.
I guess when you're a retailing giant who has built global success on the backs of the less fortunate, you don't have to worry about even sounding appreciative of anything.
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