5 Horrific Events That Show- Black Friday Is Out Of Control
Tags: opinion
With just 24 hours to go until Black Friday we have to ask ourselves is it all really worth it? I think Black Friday is a prime example of the spiritual and moral disconnection we have with the world, where material possessions and profits have become more important than human life.
The frenzied and screaming crowds linger outside the stores to try and get discounts on things that are not needed, that are at times only wanted because they are getting a discount. Once the doors open people run in, relentlessly and indiscriminately picking up useless merchandise that they will never use. Stampedes break out, people get trampled and the worse cases result in death.
The sad irony of this is that Black Friday is based around Christmas, which is supposed to be a religious celebration. One of the core teachings of Christianity (and religion in general) is that of giving, caring, love and compassion. Black Friday is the complete opposite of that and one of the most spiritually disempowering things a nation can take part in .
Below are 5 events which show that Black Friday is out of control and needs to be stopped!
Long Island Wal-Mart Black Friday stampede-
In 2008 in a Long Island Wal-Mart an employee Jdimytai Damour was killed and 4 others injured (including an 8 month pregnant woman) in a stampede where shoppers smashed through the front door and trampled Jdimytai.
Sensing that a catastrophe was about to happen, nervous employees formed a human chain inside the store to slow down the mass of frenzied shoppers. But it didn’t work, Jdimytai was trampled and killed. He pronounced dead at 6:03 a.m and the store was temporarily closed, but reopened just a few hours later and was yet again packed with shoppers.
Black Friday Pepper Spray Attack
In 2011 in a Los Angeles-area Walmart store twenty people, including children, were injured after a woman sprayed other shoppers with pepper spray.
Calling it an act of “competitive shopping,” a fire captain told the LA Times the woman had intentionally taken the pepper spray with her so she could get an edge on fellow shoppers.
The woman used the spray in an attempt to grab heavily discounted Xbox gaming consoles, Wii games and Bratz dolls. Showing the true lows that people will go to just to get discounted items.
Shopper Walter Vance Dies And Shoppers Just Step Over Him
In 2011 in a Target store in West Virginia, Black Friday shopper Walter Vance collapsed and died while shopping and went almost unnoticed by some customers, who continued to search for bargain deals.
This was not the only event that took place in the store that day, as one customer sprayed shoppers with pepper spray so she could grab a bargain video game and another exhausted Target worker accidentally drove her car into a canal after working the Black Friday night shift.
UK Tesco Black Friday Madness
In 2014 Greater Manchester Police were called to seven Tesco shops, in which three arrests were made and a woman was hit by a falling television.
The force said the issues were “totally predictable” and it was “disappointed” by shop the way Tesco security dealt with the situation. While Tesco defended themselves saying only a “small number” of stores were affected.
Del Amo Fashion Center Black Friday mall stampede-
In 2006 at the Del Amo Fashion Center in Southern California they dropped 500 balloons containing gift certificates. With over 2,000 shoppers in attendance, catastrophe seemed inevitable as they rushed for 500 falling prizes.
The stampede left nine people with injuries and sent an elderly woman to the hospital.
The staff at the centre where totally unprepared with the mall’s marketing director, Sam Carpenter, saying the mall management was “completely overwhelmed” by the turnout for the promotion.
This article only scratches the surface of some of the events that have taken place due to crazed bargain hunting shoppers who have been whipped up into frenzy by the idea of getting some cheap merchandise.
But I think it really illustrates the levels that some will go to at the expense of others. If you are going to shop this Black Friday please stay safe or even better just shop online!
Let me know what you think about Black Friday by leaving me a comment below!
THIS ARTICLE IS OFFERED UNDER CREATIVE COMMONS LICENSE. IT’S OKAY TO REPUBLISH IT ANYWHERE AS LONG AS ATTRIBUTION BIO IS INCLUDED AND ALL LINKS REMAIN INTACT.
Leave Comment: