Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, marks the beginning of the Christmas shopping season in the United States where many stores offer limited time deals that you won't find any other time of the year. Unfortunately, due to the limited supply, many shoppers often act in violent ways to ensure that they get what they want.This morning a temporary employee of Wal-Mart was trampled to death as he and other workers tried to unlock the doors in Long Island, New York. Detective Lt. Michael Flemming described the scene as one of "utter chaos".
Two more deaths were reported at a Toys R Us store in Palm Dessert, California. Two men apparently shot each other after a verbal dispute in the store. Authorities said that the dispute had nothing to do with Black Friday shopping.
Source
xPirate's Thoughts: So sad. Why do I cover so much death on this blog? I'll have to start reporting on the happier news stories soon I guess. Anyways, about this story: It is ridiculous that people are so materialistic that they have to cause mass chaos just because they might not get that really cheap iPod. The trampling of the Wal-Mart employee was ridiculous and completely avoidable. Why aren't people more patient?
As with the shooting, I'm not so sure I want to believe that the dispute wasn't over shopping. What else could a dispute have been about in the middle of a freaking Toys R Us store? I'm not buying it. Besides, I have a funny little vision in my head of a guy saying, "Give me that Tickle Me Elmo or I'll shoot you!" And then, of course, it happens. (Hrm, idea for Webcomic Wednesday?) What in the world are people even doing bringing guns into Toys R Us?
I really question humanity.
WE Americans give ourselves way too much credit. We are not nearly as civilized, decent, or intelligent as we portray ourselves to be. We are for the most part, an uneducated with only a minority of us actually having the capacity to actually run this country.
ReplyDeleteThe fact is, the majority of Americans only exist to service the few who have the means and ability to use these "cattle" to do menial jobs and to profit from them monetarily.
Such is life here in this country. Anyone who thinks otherwise has his/her proverbial head in the sand.
I agree. I agree very much.
ReplyDeleteHi Xpirate.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy your insights here. It does seem unlikely that a shooting in Toys R Us would not be about a shopping dispute.
Is it any wonder though? In the West we're so much surrounded by messages about how to resolve conflict ... and it usually involves the 'good guy' killing the 'bad guy' - or at the very least giving a good beating. We're so rarely shown alternative ways to resolving our differences (even over something as trivial as a kid's toy). Maybe incidents like this, and blogs such as yours, might start to slowly change things. Ian
Interesting theory Ian. It hadn't crossed my mind that violence is the main way we are taught to solve our problems.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the comments.