By SJ Otto
It's that time a year again. That is Black Friday. It is the
one holiday of the holiday season the sums up American consumerism, capitalism
and unadulterated greed. People spend hours in a line waiting for doors to
open, then run into stores to wreck havoc and fight over junk they want to
buy.
It's hard to see what this day really has in common with
Christmas. Some may be trying to buy gifts for their friends and relatives, but
they are trying to save money and that is where the real greed kicks in. They
are trying to give expensive gifts on the cheap.
Some people really like this day. They like the crowds, they
like the adventure. But it doesn't really seem that much about charity and
giving. That is what the fictional character Scrooge, of the short
story A Christmas Carol, by
Charles Dickens, was suppose to learn about Christmas....kindness, mercy and
giving. four spirits taught Scrooge about those things. That lesson does not
seem to be a part of people's lives today. Consumer society promotes expensive
and trendy gifts. Retailers insist they must make a lot of money to keep their
profits up. Christmas does have its "bell
ringers" and other types of charity. But that is drowned out by consumerism, commercialism and the quest for massive profits.
This year, as with past years, I will stay home on Black
Friday, relax, drink a beer and watch my favorite TV shows. I will stay far
away from those stores.
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