Black Friday

I know this is a departure from the tone of my usual posts - new cars, Olivia's latest exploits, etc. However, the recent reports from this year's "Black Friday," the busiest retail sales day of the year, have struck a nerve & I feel like I need to vent.

Make no mistake about it, the Walmart incident in New York was no accident. Throughout the night, over 2000 people gathered outside the store, jockeying for position in anticipation of "getting the deals." Unwilling to restrain their materialistic lust, people started pounding their fists and pressing against the glass at 4:55am. Seeing the doors bowing inward against the force of the crowd, Jdimytai Damour, 34, and 5-9 other Walmart employees attempted to keep the doors from breaking inward. The doors shattered & the crowd rushed in, knocking Mr. Damour & the others to the floor. Staff & emergency responders attempting to provide aid were jostled & shoved by the mob, even as rescuers were trying to administer CPR. Mr. Damour was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital about an hour later.

It gets better. As police & security were attempting to clear the store following the death, some shoppers were indignant, yelling back that they'd been in line since the previous day...

...and they kept shopping! Witnesses described the behavior of some as "savage."

Are you sick yet?

I used to avoid shopping the day after Thanksgiving solely because of the crowds. I'll never shop again on "Black Friday." I don't want to be associated with an event that brings out such disgusting behavior, where the value of a human being isn't worth missing out on 50% off a video game console, or a cheap DVD player.

God help us!