Some Thoughts On Black Friday Riots

After watching videos of violent Black Friday mobs bearing down on stores and shopping malls, I am compelled to reflect on our culture and its insatiable need to consume.

Not only are we now a culture who cares more about overhyped "deals" on consumer items than we do about the welfare of the people around us, but we are so subservient to the act of consuming that most of us don't even realize how hopelessly enslaved we are by the entire process.

Had anyone stopped to realize that these "deals" are presented to us only to encourage more spending right before Christmas, or that the act of fighting through mobs of other crazed shoppers is antithetical to the entire concept of holiday spirit, maybe they would have also paused to realize that the over-arching tone of the whole ritual was to have us all so focused on spending and buying that we'd have to overlook the generous amount of ill will being done in the world today.

I want to say this as clearly as possible. Wake up! If you feel that you need a new television so badly that you literally have to wake up at the crack of dawn, rush to your local Wal-Mart, and beat up other people just to get it-- your priorities in life are SERIOUSLY skewed. You are sick, and you should probably seek immediate professional help (although the sad thing is if everyone who took part in a violent Black Friday raid sought help for mental instability, there would be no psychiatrists left on the planet).

If the people raiding department stores got that excited about helping the poor or spending time with their families, or supporting a worthy cause, we would have already created the much-better world we're all always dreaming of. When will people stop believing the lie that having a bunch of new stuff will make them happy? Being willing to literally push, shove, and fight other human beings to get your hands on something says volumes about our inherent love affair with materialism and blatant disregard for the well-being of others.

I'm not blaming people for wanting to take advantage of deals. And I know most of the people reading this will not have been out punching and kicking people in the mall yesterday. But the general shrugged shoulders I've noticed as a reaction to the phenomenon of violent consumerism is disheartening.

A new twist on an old cliche is in order: a bunch of new stuff (even new stuff that you got on sale) won't ever make you truly happy. Why not fight for something that will?