The human race never ceases to amaze me! The whole holiday of Christmas, well, every holiday for that matter, has been hijacked and held for ransom by the big corporations. They have even managed to get their chubby fingers into the Christmas pie! Black Friday, as most of you know, is the "big" shopping day after Thanksgiving (which we only get to enjoy for a day). Gorging on material things has become a close rival with stuffing your face and belly on Thanksgiving.
This greed has become even more obvious this year. Yesterday, in New York State, a local Wal Mart opened its doors at 5am, as has become the new tradition for Black Friday. Bargains galore awaited the shoppers who frothed at the mouth to storm the doors. In all of the frenzy created by greed and first-come first-served, get-mine-before-you-get-yours mentality, the man who opened the doors was trampled and killed by the mob of holiday shoppers. In an effort to help rescue the man, several workers were also stampeded upon, though not as tragically.
When that particular Wal Mart announced that they were going to shut the store because of this man's death, the holiday well-wishers loudly protested, saying they weren't going to leave, because they had been in line since "yesterday."
For me, the way people have become obsessed with their spending and materialism at Christmas has become a big turnoff. The holidays are no longer about family and friends and traditions...they're about greed, materialism, and selfishness. How about we go back to the days of homemade gifts, home baked goodies...things that require an effort and are made with love?
I'm sorry for that man and his family, and I'm sorry that some Americans are such selfish pigs. But, hey! Don't let another human being's loss of life ruin the bargain you'll get on a 19" Samsung flat screen TV!
This greed has become even more obvious this year. Yesterday, in New York State, a local Wal Mart opened its doors at 5am, as has become the new tradition for Black Friday. Bargains galore awaited the shoppers who frothed at the mouth to storm the doors. In all of the frenzy created by greed and first-come first-served, get-mine-before-you-get-yours mentality, the man who opened the doors was trampled and killed by the mob of holiday shoppers. In an effort to help rescue the man, several workers were also stampeded upon, though not as tragically.
When that particular Wal Mart announced that they were going to shut the store because of this man's death, the holiday well-wishers loudly protested, saying they weren't going to leave, because they had been in line since "yesterday."
For me, the way people have become obsessed with their spending and materialism at Christmas has become a big turnoff. The holidays are no longer about family and friends and traditions...they're about greed, materialism, and selfishness. How about we go back to the days of homemade gifts, home baked goodies...things that require an effort and are made with love?
I'm sorry for that man and his family, and I'm sorry that some Americans are such selfish pigs. But, hey! Don't let another human being's loss of life ruin the bargain you'll get on a 19" Samsung flat screen TV!
3 comments:
People can be so disgusting. Why couldn't those people have walked into the Walmart like civilized people? Instead they act liked caged animals. So sad.
I saw that story and was totally disgusted. I am so upset at how, even in these times, people are still waiting in line to buy a bunch of crap they don't need! There are shops in a complex called Zona Rosa in Kansas City that openend at midnight on Thanksgiving!! Totally ridiculous!
Yeah, it's really sad. People here in phx got in a fist fight over an x-box. Get real? There are way more important things.
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