I believe that the once amusing and somewhat wonderful day of Black Friday, where one could do all his/her Christmas shopping in one day and save big, has turned into a rabid animal. It seems that the previous 5 years or so have seen an increase in violent and disturbing acts being committed, all in the name of big savings. Walmarts and BestBuys turn into battle grounds, where elbows are thrown, hair is pulled, babies cry, faces are punched and then….someone gets shot.
Is it the down economy? Is it people trying to spend less and get more? Is it mob mentality? Whatever the reason or reasons, what is the solution to this growing problem of gluttony/violence? Has an amazing deal at Walmart turned into the equivalent to shouting fire in a movie theater? For me, the solution is to shop online and last year was the first year that I did all my shopping online – Amazon Prime is a great thing. Yet, not all things can be bought online, especially articles of clothing, which need to be tried and fitted. Additionally, there are many people that like to shop locally, even if it’s to large box stores – so what is the solution for them?
Is the solution more Black Fridays, so the mob is spread out – more thin? Would having a Black Friday type fire sale at the end of every season (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter) be more helpful? This might help but it wouldn’t be addressing the larger issue, which is this ravenous appetite Americans have for these types of events. If you take them away, millions of people would stand up and shout, “You’re stepping on my liberties!” If you place limits on companies, as to how they should conduct their Black Friday sales, they’ll respond by saying, “You’re stifling our profits and hurting the economy!” How did we get to this point, where Tickle Me Elmo is so lusted after, you need to punch the middle aged soccer mom next to you? The video below is from this years Black Friday Sales – very disturbing.
