I. ?a?

death on black friday

a.?

we covet

b.

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timed promotions, early store openings ? a stop watch

c.?animal instinct to win

d.?

desperation

Black Friday expectations were lower than normal, but no one would have guessed that the day would bring the tragic death of Walmart employee, Jdimytai Damour.? Customers lined up outside a Long Island Walmart preparing to purchase their bargain televisions and at 5 a.m. when Damour was instructed to open the doors, a rush of people trampled him to death.? One would think that humanity would leave the store immediately once authorities arrived and began investigating a person?s death.? But this crowd of consumers was so self involved that some were appalled at the very thought of abandoning the supercenter of discounts due to the inconvenient death of another human being.

The unfortunate death of Damour was the result of the growing disease of consumerism in this country.? As the economy continues to struggle and people pinch every penny, the desire to get a deal on that TV or camera becomes more important than life itself.? Although shoppers may have less money to spend they still covet – we want what our neighbors cannot have.? Consumers are addicted and obsessed with getting the best deal at whatever cost.? Each year, we read endless news accounts of that mom or dad pushing their way through the toy store to get the next Tickle Me Elmo toy for their 5-year old child that will likely not remember or appreciate the gift in 20 minutes.

The question remains, whose responsibility is it to ensure that shopping events such as Black Friday are safe? The retailers – they can do only so much to blockade the stampedes of animalistic shoppers.? Consumers are at a point of desperation where they have no regard for the public when it comes to getting the best deal.? Will retailers have to hire police task forces to make people stand in single file lines in order to contain the masses? Shouldn?t we, the consumer, be able to control ourselves?

So what now? Will consumers think twice about the importance of their $25 DVD players?? At least for a short time America is looking a bit more embarrassed in the mirror about the consequences of the consumer driven economy we have created.? Retailers and electronics manufacturers, alike, depend on holiday sales to get them through the rest of the year.? We have built a mentality that encourages people to wake up early or even camp out at stores days in advance when they have a hard time getting up for work in the morning.? If the motivation to get that one deal was as strong as the motivation to help the environment, feed the hungry, or stop wars, maybe we would be a lot better off.

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