Black Friday and the 10 Commandments

Warning: Today’s piece may be a bit dark.

I’ve been trying to write up the piece I had planned for today and I just can’t do it. It’s tough to talk about a little pink mouse when there is a huge white elephant standing in the room, stepping on your toe. That white elephant of course, is Black Friday.

What exactly is going on people? Are we really killing each other to save $10 on a Wii? Have things really gotten that out of hand?

For the few of you who may not know what I am talking about, here’s a little update. While the rest of the world spent Thanksgiving day waiting for word on Mumbai, wondering whether the Thai government will step down or not, and watching the latest in the Somali pirating sagas, many U.S. citizens were getting their track shoes out, warming up their already maxed out credit cards, and, in at least one case, loading their weapons.

Why you ask? Because Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, is what has come to be known as Black Friday here in the United States, an eagerly anticipated event that stores build up to with a fevered pitch, where “stuff” is on sale. As a result, many stores will open at midnight to throngs of shoppers mad to get $10 off on their child’s favorite Christmas toy or a new blender for the holidays. And as a result, people often get hurt, and as in this years case, killed.

In Long Island, N.Y., a frenzied crowd outside a Wal-Mart stampeded in as the entrance was opened “ripping the doors off their hinges,” injuring four people including a woman in her eighth month of pregnancy, and trampling and killing a 34-year-old employee. In an effort not to be outdone by the East Coast, hours later, two fathers in a Toys R Us in California, shot and killed each other after a dispute between their wives. It remains unclear what started the dispute (it may have been gang related), but they were there for the sales, and I’m guessing their kids’ lives will never be the same.

All over the country, crowds surged, people shoved, mothers grabbed, fathers ran, children cried–all in all a really wonderful way to bring in the holiday season don’t you think? Ain’t the U.S. of A. great?

OK, if you read my articles, you are probably asking yourself, “Where’s the wacky guy we usually like to hear with the tips and ideas?” Well, I’m still here, I’m just a little upset right now. For starters, shame on the stores for allowing this to happen. Shame on them for lighting the fires of anticipation with their circulars and shame on them for allowing these mad dash events to occur. Remember the WHO concert in Cincinnati where all those people were crushed back in the ’70s? That changed things, shouldn’t this?

And shame on the shoppers. I recognize that people like a good deal but there is a point. When we forget about human decency and are able to trample a man rather than stopping and trying to help, we’ve gone too far. There has been talk about a mob mentality, and there is truth to that, but a mob is made up of individuals and each of those individuals has the ability, nay, the responsibility to step out of the mob, no matter how tough it may be. I think my favorite headline from yesterday was a CNN piece that read “Wal-Mart Trampling Death Could Have Been Avoided.” Really? Ya think?

Anyway, enough with the sadness and condemnation. Here are a few things I’d like to see happen next year.

For starters, let’s take a stand and stamp out Black Friday. Adbusters (a cool org by the way) has a great site devoted to Buy Nothing Day, their version of Black Friday. As protests go it doesn’t get any simpler than this: Do nothing. Next year, instead of rushing to the stores, send the merchants a message and don’t show up at all. Can you imagine how disappointed everyone will be when no one is there to rip the doors off in anticipation of buying the first Hannah Montana Pees-A-Lot Doll (if that takes off I want my cut by the way).

Secondly, let’s all relax, take a deep breath, and take another look at the 10 Commandments, but with a capitalist twist. I mean no disrespect to anyone here, but this is a list that a large number of us know and it does have a few good pointers. To keep it simple, I’m going with the Wikipedia translation.

1. I am the Lord your God. Recognize that stuff isn’t going to make you happy, but faith in whatever it is you believe in, love, and understanding are what’s important. The iPhone can wait.

2. You Shall Have No Other Gods Before You. That Wii may be cool, but making it the focal point of your life isn’t doing anyone any good. Get yourself out into nature for a few minutes. Play with your kids. Read a book.

3. You Shall Not Make Wrongful Use of the Name of Your God. As in “So help me God, I’ll kill you if you don’t let go of that Suzie Barfs-A-Lot Doll.” That’s just not neighborly.

4. Remember the Sabbath and Keep It Holy. A stretch on this one, but maybe we could all take a day or two off each week from consuming and do some good instead? Just a thought.

5. Honor Your Mother and Father. Ask yourself “Would my parents be proud of how I’m acting?”

6. You Shall Not Murder. Ya see, it doesn’t say, “unless something is 20 percent below cost,” it just says don’t do it. Simple.

7. You shall not commit adultery. Not touching that one (pun intended).

8. You Shall Not Steal. Let that little girl have the doll she’s holding. Sure you’re bigger and can take it before her mommy sees, but come on.

9. You Shall Not Bear False Witness Against Your Neighbor. All right, this one doesn’t work so much, but it’s still a good idea to keep an eye on, no?

10. You Shall Not Covet Anything That Belongs To Your Neighbor. Simply put, let the Joneses be the Joneses and let the Smiths be the Smiths. The things that you have that are important can’t be bought and can’t be sold. They are learned and passed along from one generation to the next. Take a look at who you are, and stop worrying about everyone else.

Bottom line is this: We all need to wake up and recognized that we are being played. Somehow we’ve bought into this notion that owning bigger and better stuff makes us bigger and better people. When in fact it makes us shallower and hollower. Last Friday proved that quite well. So here’s to next Back Friday when the stores are empty, the aisles deserted, and everyone is home with their families having made a decision about what is truly important, and acted upon it.

Dave Chameides is an environmental educator and freelance filmmaker. He writes alternative fuel articles for Edmunds.com and maintains the blogs 365 Days of Trash and Achieving Sustainability. While he is presently saving all of his trash for a year to better understand his environmental impact, his main focus is sustainability through education and believes that with knowledge all things are possible.