Black Friday

Black Friday is a time-honored tradition. Tis the season to be mauled, to trample people, and to scream and camp out while trying to save a few dollars. Tis also the season for workers to be underpaid, overworked, and have little to show for it. South Park recently made fun of this phenomenon in their two-part episode entitled “Black Friday” and “Song of Ass and Fire”. Although I have worked Black Friday, I worked Black Friday in a supermarket. Our BF extends to Thanksgiving and the days leading up to it, but it is not quite comparable.

This year, my boyfriend and one of my friends are working on Thanksgiving before Black Friday and my boyfriend is working almost the entire week including Thanksgiving, BF, and that Saturday. When I found this out, I panicked and tried to tell him what I considered so objectionable about working Black Friday. He assumes it will be busy, but that security will handle any real big problems. I do not share his optimism.

The day before Black Friday is Thanksgiving. Presumably, everyone considers how grateful they are for what they have. Then, the next day, they proceed to tear people to pieces to gain what they do not possess. In a democracy, everyone should have an equal opportunity to get things, but on Black Friday, equal opportunities only apply as long as it takes you to knock over your neighbor for the newest toy (like “Don’t Touch Me Elmo!”). What does it say about a society like this where people so readily abuse each other in order to gain “deals”? Are these the ideals that we wish to preserve? Justice and liberty for all—now gimme that toy!

It saddens me that people will go to such extremes in the name of Christmas shopping. I can understand the crowds and the waiting, particularly with short stock and high demand, but the violence and aggression is uncalled for. Then again, with a government that settles things by throwing temper tantrums—I am looking at you, Congress—and recently had to have filibusters abolished, perhaps what occurs on Black Friday is not really all that different from what happens elsewhere.

And is that not a depressing message to send.