Some watch the videos of the violence and madness ensued during last week's Black Friday just for laughs. They post them on their Facebook walls and share them on Twitter. I, on the other hand, can't bring myself to take a look at them and the little I've seen makes me want to cry. I don't understand the concept of Black Friday, nor have I ever been–or will ever be–a participant in such a circus. I refuse to stand in line for hours and hours in the middle of the night withstanding freezing temperatures to get yet another object, gadget, or piece of clothing I most probably don't even need.
Not to mention that I would be scared out of my pants to participate in the frenzy that Black Friday represents. And although every year we hear the same stories regarding the violent behavior of some of the attendees, the whole thing never ceases to amaze me.
Read more in ¿Qué más?: Shopping on Black Friday is the worst idea, EVER!
And I always want to know, what does the shoving, pushing, punching, fighting, screaming and cursing as you try to get your hands on the latest video game say about us as a society? Are material belongings that important to us that we're willing to lose all sense of decency and civility? And, even worse yet, what does our behavior during Black Friday teach our children?
Unfortunately, I have no good answers. It saddens me to no end that the day after we all get together so we can show our gratitude for all that we already have, we become wild animals in search for sales for stuff we don't really need. And the worst part is that this has become just as much of a tradition as Thanksgiving.
As my kids get older, I plan on making sure they understand that no material belonging is worth losing your dignity and respect for others.
Image via Beth Rankin/flickr
