The nation has been wrapped up in economics this year. During the summer, Congress went back and forth about raising the debt ceiling, with nothing accomplished other than infuriating the American public. Then, Occupy Wall Street started with a call for fiscal responsibility being at the forefront. Follow all this up with the failure of the debt ‘anti-Super Committee,' in the past two weeks.
Again, America is the victim of economic corruption. The commercialization of Christmas, especially Black Friday, is killing the holiday season. There are many other important religious ceremonies from other faiths during winter. However, I want to focus on America's most predominant religion, Christianity. Regardless, the true spirit of the holidays in general is long forgotten.
Every year, Christmas keeps growing and growing despite the fact it is on the same date every year. As soon as Halloween is over, stores fill their shelves with decorations.
Some say the extension of the holiday season and spirit is a welcome event. Perhaps for more than just a month, volunteering, charity work and the playing of Christmas music will lift everyone's spirit in this cruel and unforgiving world. While those are admirable hopes, money blinds and corrupts the innocence and joy. Times of peace, family and sacrifice are subjugated to unregulated capitalism.
Thanksgiving, an excuse to totally engorge next to family and friends, seems too perfect for oversized America, but is overlooked. Tom Turkey doesn't measure up for the machine of marketing because of money to be earned on Black Friday.
Black Friday shouldn't be important, but it seems to trump the day before. Thanksgiving is no longer a time for rest and reflection while surrounded with family. Instead, it turned into a set of highly coordinated battle plans, focused around what stores to blitz first the following morning for shopping deals.
It seems that every year, people bring up how the holidays aren't about material items, but it's also the same people who leave at 3 a.m. to bum rush Best Buy.
Camping outside of stores days in advance is not the worst of the Black Friday shenanigans. This year, there was a riot, a man tasered and others pepper sprayed. Near Toledo, a person attempted to steal something out of another's cart, got caught mid theft and served street justice via two tubes of wrapping paper. Three years ago, a stampede trampled to death a Long Island Wal-Mart employee. No material good is worth a family having to plan a funeral during the holidays.
The Norman Rockwell version of a quiet snow blanketed town while the kids are off on winter break is gone. Constantly people channel their inner Tim "the Tool Man" Taylor by setting up gaudy Christmas lights just to compete with the house across the street. Santa looks like he belongs to NASCAR with all the stickers and ads plastered all over him and his sleigh.
The nation needs to get back to the original purpose of the holidays. The bedlam known as Black Friday and the material gifts should not be the primary focus of the holidays. Family is the only gift a person needs in these times.
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