Pardon me while I rant incessantly: Black Friday
Unless you’ve been away from all forms of media for the past several days, you’ve most likely heard or read something about the infamous woman with pepper spray incident at the Walmart in Porter Ranch, California.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the unidentified woman turned herself into at a LAPD station on Saturday, but declined to answer questions about the incident. She was not taken into custody and the investigation is continuing. The article also spoke to a defense attorney about the incident:
Defense attorney Dmirty Gorin said the key question is whether the woman used the spray to intentionally cause harm or if she believed she was using it to defend herself.
“Witness interviews regarding the circumstances surrounding the use of the pepper spray hold the key to whether this woman’s actions were criminal or legally justified,” Gorin said. “In a riot-type atmosphere at midnight on Black Friday, there may have been a literal frenzy among the shoppers. The woman in question had the right to use pepper spray if she reasonably intended to prevent serious injuries to herself or other shoppers.”
Here’s video of the store in the aftermath of the incident I found on YouTube:
People are understandably outraged about what happened, and I suppose this woman is an easy target for such outrage. At least 20 people sustained minor injuries. But honestly? What do you expect when people act like animals? All in the name of half price electronics and other Black Friday deals?
Alejandra Seminario, 24, said she was waiting in line to grab some toys at the store around 9:55 p.m. when people in the next aisle started shouting and ripping at the plastic wrap encasing gaming consoles. The store was supposed to open at 10.
“People started screaming, pulling and pushing each other, and then the whole area filled up with pepper spray,” the Sylmar resident said. “I guess what triggered it was people started pulling the plastic off the pallets and then shoving and bombarding the display of games. It started with people pushing and screaming because they were getting shoved onto the boxes.”
Whatever happened to peace on earth and good will toward men?
Or perhaps the better question would be,
What is the price of your dignity and self respect?
You can keep your half-priced X-boxes and 50% off flat screen televisions.
I’ll keep my dignity intact and settle for less life-endangering Christmas presents.
Gift cards, perhaps…
« « Previous Post: The Best of Billy Coffey: The heart of the tree | Next Post: The katdish ultimate Christmas shopping guide, Part 2 » »“Presents are the best way to show someone how much you care. It is like this tangible thing that you can point to and say ‘Hey man, I love you this many dollars worth.’” – Michael Scott, The Office
UGH! Don’t get me started. That just makes my BLOOD BOIL. Call me crazy, but I’d rather stay at work, like, three extra hours to pay for the difference in a TV than to endure… THE MASSES.
AT WALMART.
ON BLACK FRIDAY.
Personally, I can’t think of any experience more torturous.
It is beyond me what thing could ever be so important as to give rise to the mass hysteria called Black Friday. These people need to chill.
Just like I had planned, I spent black Friday at home, in my recliner, with a book and a cup of tea. I did not suffer from stress. I did not spend money on “stuff” that I don’t need. Call me Scrooge if you want to, I’ll just smile and sip. Ha.
I never participate in Black Friday and it’s mainly for my own sanity since I can’t stand crowds or rude, pushy people. I mean, there are some serious chumps out there.
This
is
so
very
sad.
That is an awesome Michael Scott quote. Sitting here, cracking up.
My sentiments exactly. There is no material object worthy of that type of worship. Seriously, it’s not like they were hungry for food! When I saw the scene before I watched the video, it gave me the creeps… I loathe crowds.
The celebration of the birth of Christ… He can’t be happy about this society…
My momma taught me not to go shopping the day after Thanksgiving when it was just referred to as “the Friday after Thanksgiving” rather than Black Friday. Did I always listen? No…. But I never stood in line (or a mob) before a store opened, either. Nothing is worth the possibility of getting trampled to death!
The word here is stupidity.
Pepper spray for “stuff” is just stupid.
I’ve been to a few stores in the last few days. I asked each checker if they had to work Black Friday. They all said yes. And most of the them had to come in on Thursday night instead of getting the whole day off with their families. All of them talked about how much cleanup they did AFTER their shifts ended because the customers trashed the store.
I think WalMart, Target and some local businesses suck because they make employees work on a family holiday. In this day of online shopping, why in the world do we even have Black Friday occurring in live stores anyway?
I went to the gym on black friday because I knew it’d be empty. For some reason, I think that the people that work out in the same place I do are probably the kinds of humans who’d act like this. You and I share the same perspective on this one. People freaking out over “stuff” that complicates their lives and it’s probably money they shouldn’t be spending anyway…
Excellent post and no way would I subject myself to the insanity of Black Friday. It exposes the very worst about people. I think you do animals a grave disservice, however, when you say “What do you expect when people act like animals?”.
Animals don’t behave like this. Only people do.