What does it tell you when a woman shopping at Walmart on Black Friday sprays fellow shoppers with pepper spray — then wants to sue the national retailer for not providing enough security?
It tells you that Christmas isn’t the holiday of peace and goodwill anymore.
The story is true. Elizabeth Macias, 32, said shoppers attacked her two teen children, forcing her to fire pepper spray into the crowd on Black Friday. After a spraying that affected at least 20 shoppers, including children, Macias left the store.
Mind you, this is Christmas.
The whole thing is crazy to me — from the frenzy of shoppers trying to grab cheap video game consoles and DVD players to people carrying pepper spray to shopping malls. What happened to the holiday season of giving and sharing and abiding the laws?
I had wanted to avoid Black Friday while vacationing in Chicago this year. I recalled stories about shoppers get trampled, pushed, shoved, punched, kicked. That wasn’t on my Christmas to-do list. So instead of walking down the shopping mecca of Michigan Avenue on Friday, we headed there the day before.
Mistake.
This year retailers decided to jump on the for-profit season by opening on Thursday. Never mind that it’s Thanksgiving and some people — namely, the workers who have to come in and work — may want to spend it with their families and friends.
What’s happened to Christmas? It’s my favorite holiday, specifically because it’s joyful and festive and, well, it smells good. But now it’s turned sour, thanks to all this greed and desperation and selfishness.
It actually makes me sad.
While I used to love walking around the malls, admiring the store displays and enjoying the Christmas music played in every store, now I avoid it, expecting only stressed shoppers and annoyed sales associates — everyone there as sort of an obligation.
Thank God for online. Otherwise, no one would get gifts from me this year.
***
#TodaysGift
Dog Kimono from Inu Inu Hawaii
Days left: 3
Dog kimono or yukata from Inu Inu Hawaii (www.inuinuhawaii.com)
Price: $30 online or at pet boutiques such as Calvin & Susie in Kilohana Square
The gist: Bored of the usual dog outfits? Or your pooch is quite the fashion diva? Get a kimono (or yukata) from Honolulu-based Inu Inu Hawaii, which specializes in unique Asian-inspired apparel for dogs. They come in all sizes — in fact, you can custom order ones for larger breeds — and patterns. Imagine your Rottweiler in one of these!
Best for: Dog owners, of course!
7 Comments
yep. it is so sad whats going on. What happened? How can these people have the mentality of “i dont care who i hurt or what i have to do to get ….(insert product) x ,to …..to what? to give as a gift? to keep for one’s self? to get a bargain? i dont get it. AND frankly, i dont want it. Merry Christmas all.
The way things are going a Charlie Brown’s Christmas looks prophetic in oh so many ways. Not into Christmas anymore, not at all.
I likewise made the mistake of going out on Thanksgiving. I actually went to Wal-Mart to pick up a bottle of wine at 8PM because nowhere else was open. It was madness in there! The aisles were swarming with people waiting like vultures for the shrink wrap to be taken off the massive cases of video games and other electronics. I’m happy I got out of there alive!
Hello Cat! It’s too commercialize, dog eat dog world, the true meaning of Christmas is lost, very sad.
That’s why I shop at boutiques — great service, smiles, unique items, no crowds and lots of holiday cheer.
My dad had a little pearl of wisdom this year for the family: If you can’t afford something at the regular price and have to stand in long lines to get it at a discount, do you really need it? Is the deal more important than the gift of giving?
I agree, online is the way to go. But I do feel badly about not supporting the local economy. Then again, most times, products in many local small businesses are not priced competitively. What’s a shopper to do? Perhaps this could be another topic for the great debates.
Perspective.
All those folks, standing days in line, fighting thousands of other people over cheap stuff at 4am in the morning Black Friday 1991.
Really, 20 years later, looking back, was it really worth it ???
Do you even remember Xmas 1991 ???
Even a year later, all that crap people bought 12am on Black Friday, 2010, most of which was for themselves, do they even still use it? Wear it?
Or is is collecting dust in the corner?
And supposedly all the money you saved on getting great deals??
Was it worth the stress, time and hassle ?? Or even getting arrested ???
What I remember from Xmas past is spending fun time with family and friends
I think alot of people have lost perspective
So when they look back on Xmas 2011, their only memory is they spent the holidays in jail.