Thanksgiving is a time that many look forward to. It is a time to give thanks and be happy for everything that we have been blessed with and to spend time with our loved ones. We have one special day to reflect on our blessing but Black Friday now takes away from that meaning.
Retailers have shifted our focus from a day to be thankful, to a day about consumerism. We have been encouraged socially and economically to go through an excessive amount of effort to purchase a greater amount of goods.
Originally “Black Friday” was a reference to the amount of traffic accidents, congestion of traffic and sometimes even violence that occured the day after thanksgiving.
Now, “Black Friday” has become almost another holiday celebration for many. It marks the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. Some stores even give some of their employees the day off just to increase sales.
In 2008, over 2,000 people trampled into a Wal-Mart store five minutes before the store was even opened. In the process, a temporary employee was trampled. It was reported that other employees tried to help but they were knocked out of the way and the man was pummeled to death.
Was the life of this man worth the money that the consumers saved? There are many reports of other injuries and deaths that are caused due to “Black Friday”, but we have to decide for ourselves if we think it’s worth it.
This thanksgiving there were stores that opened earlier than Friday. Some opened on Thanksgiving Day and did not give families time to celebrate Thanksgiving together. Perhaps this tradition witll become known as “Black Thursday”.
In Houston, people camped out in front of Best Buy as early as Tuesday. People bought and slept in tents for days, all to save $100 on a television.
Where will it all stop?
Each year it seems as though stores are opening earlier and earlier. People don’t have time to actually celebrate Thanksgiving and spend time with their families because they are more concerned with saving money.
Though we are supposed to be the consumers, it seems as though we are the ones being consumed.
