WalMart Employee Trampled to Death
What has our society come to when a piece of electronics is worth more than a human life?
I don't do Black Friday. The only time you would have seen me at the mall for that day is if Lottery Yarn had me scheduled to do so. I don't comprehend the frenzied competition to get the best price on an item that will most likely be obsolete in 3 months. The thing I really don't understand is why, after a day in which we were to be giving thanks for the things we have in our life why anyone would go to extremes to shop with the attitude that this throng of people had. Someone actually said "I've been on line since yesterday morning!" as to why they would not leave the store when asked to because of the death. There were other variations on that phrase as well.
I know that not everyone is like this and I also know that with the economy the way it is, people wanted to get deals on things. Things. Things to have, things to give. Things to show how much we love a person. Wait. What? In order to show our love for someone we must get things that might be out of out budget that might cause suffering the rest of the year because we had to give an expensive THING or many expensive things for someone? No. Just no. I don't care if it's "for the kids" or if it's "a special year" or "it's for mom/dad' or "they really want it". No. It's not worth it. If our minds have deteriorated so badly that we can't find more creative ways to show we care, something needs to be done. My suggestion, make something for someone you care about. Maybe it won't be your only gift to that person but make it the one you put all your heart and soul into. The giftee, if they have a good heart, they will know and all other gifts will pale by comparison. It's a tradition I would like to begin in my small family. I'll let you know what I decide to do for the people on my list after the holidays (I'd tell you now but they read my blog). So give it some thought. Even if you don't think you are creative, find fun old picture of someone you love and frame it or write a short history of someone and creatively bind it. DO something instead of BUYING something and see how good it feels.
25 comments:
I heard there was a shooting at a "Toys R Us" today as well. It's just so sad - All these millions of people completely missing the point. Tis becoming the season of greed and narcissism.
I don't "do" black friday. I have a lot of people on my Christmas shopping list and almost no money for shopping, but no sale is valuable enough to make that scene worthwhile.
I could not have said, thought or screamd that from a rooftop any better myself.
I think I love you.
For your mind of course ;)
My post today echo's your sentiments.
just went to lunch with a bunch of friends, and we adamantly said to each other: NO GIFTS!
We've decided to get together for lunch or dinner at one of our homes, enjoy each others company and leave it at that.
Lovely sentiment!
Bravo!!
Hear hear--there is no excuse for the crazy behavior, and I will have no part of it
Ditto. You know how I feel on the Walmart incident. We are actually only buying 3 presents this year. They will be for the two nephews and one niece and that's it. I am so over gift giving and all the shopping. I don't work to buy presents.
The Walmart incident was very sad indeed! The people that camp out for black Friday are insane.
That being said, I do enjoy the deals before noon on black Friday. Nothing is worth being there at the crack of 4, but I go and if I score a deal for my kids then I am psyched. It's kind of an adrenaline thing. I love a good bargain.
Before you and your fan base hate me, I also make a lot of my Christmas presents for my family. There is nothing as great as a homemade gift!
I don't do black friday either. In fact, I avoid going anywhere that day BECAUSE of the chaos.
If I don't have the money to get what I want for the kids, I don't get it right then and there.
The thing that bothered me about the whole article that you linked was during the telling of the tragedy...they stuck this in there:
Items on sale at the store included a Samsung 50-inch Plasma HDTV for $798, a Bissel Compact Upright Vacuum for $28, a Samsung 10.2 megapixel digital camera for $69 and DVDs such as "The Incredible Hulk" for $9.
Now, was that REALLY necessary??
I did Black Friday 2 years ago at Best Buy (4 AM), and last year at Target (4 AM), and I will never, ever do that again. I never lose my cool, but those two days tested me. THe long lines, the rude people who have no regard for anyone else ... it isn't worth it. and now after reding that WalMart post ... it REALLY isn't worth it.
Boy, I hear ya. I don't shop on Black Friday. I don't like my holidays centered around shopping. Food and Family is much more important. I can't believe someone (or more than one) died. That's so sad. So horrible.
Well if you get brave you should use the woman who did mine. She is super inexpensive(ive waited this long cause I have like $0) She also does her own photography and has amazing stuff! Definitely check out her site I think you will be impressed :0)
I am so with you and I don't ever do the black friday thing. Going shopping is so not worth loosing sleep over.
when i heard about that i really got sad. i mean, i just don't understand...
oh well. at least we have our priorities straight, maybe it'll rub off on people...
The enemy isn't Black Friday itself but the idea of massive gift giving overall. Giving a gift isn't a terrible thing, but the feeling that everyone needs tons of gifts doesn't help anyone.
This was a really inspiring post!
Good for you, and I hope a million people read it.
I'm tapering off black friday. One of our local stores has half price socks and I just can't kick the habit. But the national stores are just crazy... and after yesterday just crazier. We had a mall shooting here last week... 1 dead. I've never been so glad to have asthma... can't handle the smells in the mall. I've not heard of anyone being injured while online shopping.
Besides, I'm crocheting a lot of gifts this year...
You put that so well. I agree with you so much. This year was my first black friday that I went shopping. No I did not stand in early morning lines or any of that. I went later in the day and took advantage of some kid free time I had to do a little shopping. I will never understand the obsesion to get up so early, stand in long lines and fight over something that is just a something. I use to be that worker dealing with the crazy shoppers at 5 AM. I worked for a smart retailer who on that morning. Our manager went outside to the line in front of the store and said if you are here for this item and are in line here is your ticket. Go to the service desk to get your one item. You don't get to pick out which one but if you have the ticket you get one. This saved the fighting, the trampling and all the madness. These retailers need to put a little more thought into how they do this.
Bravo. nuff said.
Oh gosh, that is awful!!!!!!! I don't do black Friday either. There is nothing I want or need bad enough to make me compete so hard for it.
I do that for various people in my family and you're right...they do appreciate it.
My brother works at a wally world in Utah and he says that some lady tried to have him fired friday because he accidentally told her the wrong line and she missed out on her portable dvd player.
Gee, happy holidays to you too. I mean really he's got 4 kids and a wife and he's working at wal-mart, lets show a little sympathy and compassion here.
Incidentally I don't shop on Black Friday. I avoid it like the plague.
Obviously we don't do Black Friday in Britain (since obviously we don't do Thanks Giving either ... that is obvious, right?)
But the WalMart death was mentioned on all the UK news channels, with a slight air of amazement. A bit like stories of pilgrims to religious shrines been killed in crushes in India or at Mecca.
As you're first commentator, July Haley said, "It's just so sad - All these millions of people completely missing the point."
You enjoy bringing a real personal connection into your hand-made, love-crafted gifts.
my dad every year asks for time.
and it's true that to find a gift - a thing - is the easier way out.
i wish i didn't love things so much.
oh wait- i nearly forgot to tell you! we taggethed you ;)
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