What people tend to forget on Black Friday is the insane amount of OTHER people that also want that same item. You're NOT the only one going after that camera. Whatever item it is that you want so badly, countless others want it too. And there is most likely not enough for all of you. So it must come down to who can get their hands on it first...
And the measures they will go to obtain this "necessity."
On Black Friday last week, a woman in search of an Xbox at a Walmart pepper sprayed more than 10 other customers in order to get the gaming system. While nobody was seriously injured, all suffered minor injuries and vision impairment.
Also, in a San Francisco suburb on Black Friday, a man was shot for refusing to give up his purchases to a random man outside of a Walmart. In another case, a 61-year-old man who had collapsed at Target was ignored as other shoppers ran right over him, trampling him to death, in order to get their desired items.
Sue Compton, one of the deceased man's co-workers, told WSAZ-TV,"how could you not notice someone was in trouble? I just don't understand if people didn't help what their reason was, other than greed because of a sale."
When desires override one's morals, these types of situations occur. There is this need in America to be the one with the newest technology, coolest new video game, hottest trends, that often Americans lose sight of the big picture. I do believe that the people who trampled this man to death did not mean to do so. In fact, I believe that many of them do not even know they contributed to his death. I believe they were oblivious; they were so consumed with themselves that they didn't even realize the tragic consequence of their actions.
As Sue Compton so aptly stated:
"Where [has] the good Samaritan side of people [gone]?"
I am a sale-a-holic but I don't think I would ever venture out for one of those Black Friday events. Thankfully, there is nothing I want or need SO badly that I would risk life and limb to get. Greed, on both the part of the shopping public AND on the part of store management is to blame here.
ReplyDeleteThanks Elise for informing me on some of the atrocities of Black Friday that we rarely hear about. Although I do not by any means condone the outrageous measures people go to in order to get what they want, I can see some vague sense of reason in it. Going Black Friday shopping is a tradition very much like getting presents on Christmas. People would not go shopping then if it was not for the crazy spirit in the air. While some people are greedy in terms of their shopping, I don't think that the majority of people are trying to cause any harm to others - they are just hoping to get in on the holiday spirit.
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