Minor Thoughts from me to you

Earlier this week, the New York Times took a look at the town of Monsey, New York and how it's responding to plans for a new local Wal-Mart.

Monsey presents a bit of a problem to Wal-Mart.

The thousands of Hasidic Jews who have settled in Monsey, an unincorporated hamlet in Rockland County, since at least the early 1970s are guided by centuries-old religious traditions, which have remained unchanged even in the face of unprecedented growth inside and outside town borders. The streets here are lined with sidewalks, as many of the women do not drive—an activity deemed immodest in stricter Jewish sects. Many boys and girls are educated separately, in private, Yiddish-language religious schools. A sign at the entrance of a kosher supermarket reminds visitors to refrain from wearing revealing clothes.

The city has a lot of concerns about how Wal-Mart would change their community. Some of them seem quite justified.

The proposed Wal-Mart Supercenter would occupy a 22-acre site on Route 59, about three miles from access ramps to the New York State Thruway. Route 59, a two-lane state highway lined with strip malls, is often clogged during rush hours and is especially busy on Fridays as families hurry to finish errands before the Sabbath starts. On Saturdays, roads everywhere are choked with pedestrians, including many mothers pushing babies in strollers.

Some of the concerns seem more focused at controlling the community.

When they fret about merchandise, they wonder if frowned-upon items like bikinis and lingerie will be on display for everyone to see. And when they imagine the outsiders who would shop at the store, they worry that their presence could transform the town's pious, sheltered atmosphere.

The Rockland Bulletin, a local Jewish weekly newspaper, ran a full-page ad this spring warning: "An influx of undesirable influences will pollute the spiritual environment." And this month, "Community Connections," a weekly newsletter with 1,300 subscribers, published a call for action of sorts: "Today, it is harder than ever to protect our children from influences that are at odds with the values and morals we try to instill in them," the article says. "It would be naïve to assume that a Wal-Mart Supercenter can open in our midst and not destroy some of which has so painstakingly been built."

Here, Wal-Mart has already agreed to conceal magazine covers that may be deemed offensive, such as the ones picturing celebrities in provocative outfits, "something that's new for us," Mr. Serghini said.

Some of the concerns are understandable, from a family perspective.

"The reason a lot of us came to live in Monsey is because we wanted to raise our families in a safe place, away from the influences of the outside world," said Yossi Weinberger, 30, a father of four who works at a local travel agency. "I'm not sure it will be easy to do it if we have such a gigantic piece of the outside world move to our town."

How close is the outside world moving?

If constructed, it would replace a Wal-Mart in Airmont, a village two miles to the east. Company officials estimate it would add 170 jobs.

Ultimately, this entire story raises a lot of questions about just how far libertarian philosophy should extend. Classic libertarian philosophy states that anyone can sell their land to anyone else, who can then utilize it for any lawful purpose. This new Wal-Mart store would fit into that model.

But what of all of the families who specifically moved to Monsey for the small-town, Hassidic atmosphere? Shouldn't they have a say in how the town changes? Shouldn't they have a chance to protect the lifestyle they painstakingly built?

There's already a Wal-Mart just two miles east of Monsey. So I don't know how much the town would really change and how much would just stay the same. And I don't know whether I support the town's desire to regulate or Wal-Mart's desire to build a new store.

Thoughts?