Don’t feed the Black beast

Steven’s mall cop abilities were finally going to be put to the test. The clock was about to strike midnight and the masses of crazed shoppers would be let loose. He took one last sip of liquid courage to dull the nerves for the insanity that was about to ensue. He looked at a photo of his wife and child who he would not to be spending Thanksgiving with, and might not be able to see for Christmas, either. He knew the risks of working on Black Friday, but he didn’t know how far they stretched…

There is a massive dose of irony injected into the idea of “Black Friday” and Thanksgiving. A day dedicated to being thankful for what you already have is immediately curb-stomped for the urge to go get more stuff. That urge has never been more strong or pervasive as now. We can’t even call it Black Friday anymore, because many stores are pushing their deals into Thanksgiving Day itself.

This push into Thanksgiving really worries me. Just how far has this trend gone and how far could it go?

Will it stop with Thursday? Will it eventually become Black Wednesday, Black Tuesday, Black Week, Black Month, Black Year? Maybe not, but it’s going nowhere good.

Wal-Mart is increasing its television stock by 65 percent this year and rationing when it deals occur to keep up with demand and prevent any more parking lot shootings (yes, people really fired shots over parking spots last year).

The excessive consumerism suffocating Thanksgiving has almost gotten worse than Christmas. Now, Thanksgiving is seen as little more than a stepping stone towards Christmas (to some, anyway). It’s ridiculous, and needs to be stopped.

We have basically allowed corporations to take over Thanksgiving and force thousands of employees to deal with people who exemplify the worst in humanity.

And those workers are the ones who really get the raw end, employees who would much rather spend their holiday sleeping on the couch with a belly full of turkey. Instead, they have to make sure nobody kills a rival shopper (or even a store worker) over a stupid television.

What is supposed to be one of the happiest times of the year ends up being the worst, for many employees.

So, how can we loosen the grip of consumerism on Thanksgiving?

Don’t go to Black Friday! Stay home, eat some good food, spend time with your family and be thankful for what you already have. The only reason things have gotten so bad is because the demand keeps growing and people keep lining up in the cold to chase rather paltry “sales.” If we don’t jump in, the circus won’t be as popular.

There are much better shopping options online, anyway. Amazon and other shopping sites tout amazing deals each year that are often better than what you will find in the store. They have other deals that roll out through the month. You get all the same benefits without stepping on a child’s head or elbowing someone in the jugular.

Nothing: That is all you have to do to help put this crap to an end. By keeping your butt planted on the couch, you are saying that you don’t agree with the devaluing of holidays, supporting extreme consumerism or giving weary employees extra headaches