Macy’s is opening their doors at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day this year. Employees will barely have time to scarf down some turkey and pumpkin pie between the beloved annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and heading back to work to open the store. To make matters worse, Kmart is opening their stores at 6 a.m. Thanksgiving Day and will stay open until 11 p.m. on Black Friday. Although we probably can’t call it Black Friday shopping anymore, since more and more shopping is happening on Thursday.
In 2011, 10 people were pepper sprayed in a Walmart in California. A woman took out her pepper spray and used it on those around her in an effort to get a videogame console. In 2010, a woman cut in front of hundreds of people in line and, when confronted, threatened to pull out a gun and start shooting. In 2008, a Walmart temporary employee was trampled to death after the crowd waiting outside broke down the doors and swarmed the store.
America, you have gone crazy. In many, many ways, but especially when it comes to consumerism. People are more focused on buying and saving a few bucks than they are with actually spending time with people and showing love to others.
To me, it isn’t worth it. Yes, I may find a great gift at a great price or even something I have been looking for at an incredible bargain. But it isn’t worth getting up early or staying up all night and it isn’t worth going crazy in the shopping frenzy.
While Black Friday is the most prominent example of our fixation on consumerism, our society exemplifies this daily. Count how many items you have in your home that you don’t need, but you bought them anyway. Because why not? With so much stuff at our fingertips, it is hard to say no.
The National Academies notes that although the U.S. only accounts for about 5 percent of the world’s population, this country is home to one-third of the world’s automobiles. It is looked at as taboo to not own a car. This is the same for many items. Everyone and their kindergartener has a cell phone these days. What in the world does a five-year-old need a cell phone for? And do they need designer jeans and sunglasses that are going to get muddy and broken anyway?
Face it, America is obsessed with buying and owning things. Every new iPhone is sold out the day it is released. TVs in the living room become bigger and bigger and are found in every room of the house. Clothes we never wear and gadgets we never use sit around in our closets and drawers.
Thanksgiving began as exactly what it sounds like: A day to spend with those you love giving thanks for what you are blessed with. It has now become a day to gobble down some turkey to get to the main event: shopping. Sorry America, but I want to keep this day as something special. So for now, I’ll stay away from Black Friday shopping and pray for those who do go. Some of those shoppers are vicious.
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