Living Simply: Black Friday Violence

   

If Thanksgiving is the holiday to celebrate being thankful for what we (already) have, what is the message(s) from Black Friday?

1.  We need more stuff and don't care how much we spend binging on shopping.
2.  What we just said we're thankful for isn't enough unless we have what advertisers tell us we need.
3.  It's unsafe these days to go out during the black friday rush.

     It's so sad, year after year, you search the news for Black Friday the weekend after and you see story after story, video after video, of violent things that happened because manic shopping and spending was more important than human lives. How many were shot? Stabbed? Injured? Every year the numbers add up to more and more. You've seen them...WalMart shopper shoots other shoppers for the last big screen TV left on the advertised sale. Person SHOT over a parking space. Shoppers argue in a mall parking lot and one gets stabbed. Crowds trample children and the elderly as they push everyone out of their way to be the "first" to get to the stuff - in a crazed state of temporary insanity. When did shopping for unnecessary things become so important they're worth killing another human being and going to jail?! When will this madness stop? I blame the advertising companies, the stores, and yes, the people must be held accountable for their actions. They CHOSE to harm others over getting more "stuff".

     If you won't decide to stop Black Friday craziness and refuse to shop, will you consider shopping online that weekend instead? Is it worth it? I know many will say that it IS, but that's only because they either got something expensive they wanted (but didn't need), or else because the death/injuries never happened to someone THEY love. Imagine your spouse, significant other, your young adult child - heading out for shopping - and they never come back, or they end up in the hospital. Would you still feel the same way?

     Today, please take a moment and pray for the families that were affected by the violence during Black Friday shopping. And yes, once again, there was a shooting, a shattered hip when a shopper was slammed into shelving by other shoppers, a stabbing, year after year after year. Be part of the solution, not part of the problem.