Black Friday: Cost of Living?
The 50-inch plasma TV cost $798.
The 10 megapixel camera cost $69.
And the Black Friday shoppers determined to get those door-buster bargains cost a Wal-Mart employee his life.
The ugly scene that shocked America during the Thanksgiving holiday played out just before 5AM, with no police in sight. An unruly crowd of 2,000 people broke down the doors of the store in Valley Stream, New York, and in the process trampled 34-year-old Jdimytai Damour to death.
Four other people in the store were injured and treated at a hospital.
Wall-Mart said it had added extra security staff and installed barricades, among other measures. “Despite all of our precautions,” said a spokesperson, “this unfortunate event occurred.”
The police detective in charge of the investigation had a different view. “I’ve heard other people call this an accident, but it is not,” he said. “Certainly it was a foreseeable act.”
At least part of the incident was caught on surveillance cameras, but news reports pointed out that even with the video and eyewitness accounts, “officials acknowledged that it would be difficult to identify those responsible.” There were plenty of suspects, however, beyond the store and the shoppers, including the economy.
“I think it ties into sort of fear and panic of not having enough,” said a consumer psychologist, noting that a “herd mentality” can make individuals feel anonymous to the point of trampling someone. “Fear combined with the group mentality?” the psychologist pondered. “It doesn’t surprise me at all.”
Others blamed the media for having cheered on shoppers in numerous stories leading up to the Black Friday incident, which one reporter described as “the ungovernable mix of greed and thriftiness.”
Tell us what you think: Where does the responsibility lie in this case? With the crowd? The store? The police? The economy? The media? Why would people in a group do something they would never do as individuals?
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The people who did this are to blame
We are all responsible for our own actions. No one made these people rush in. Each of us has to be accountable for ourselves and our actions. Blame the person or persons who could not wait to get what they wanted no matter what the cost including human life.
Janice Moore | 1 year ago
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blame?
I have lived a few times in the USA for work, being from Europe I can say I always get surprised how people in the states get so crazy about not having enough of everything.
I know that we Europeans do with half the stuff Americans have and I for one was raised partially by my grandmother who lived trough 2 world wars and she told me that if you can not afford it, then let it go.
Also parents are responsible for the fact that if they let their child yell at you that she or he wants this or that all day and then they get it, this will result in them being spoiled adults that have no clue what limitations are even if they have to have them.
Then there is the amount of advertising that is overwhelming, it is not even fun to watch TV anymore, people think they are immune to these advertisements but because they are repetitive they eventually start to rule your lives, which leads to frenzy shopping like the one we witnessed.
cedric smeets | 1 year ago
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No one is at fault. Human nature by itself is driven with desires and curiosity. However such a thing can happen due to competitiveness. They want the same product put there’s just not enough therefore they need to win it. Usually it happens in concerts or large gathering places. People are too excited to get what they want so they did what they don’t think of doing. It’s a collective process and not done consciously. It happens worse in other parts of the world so what makes one think that the US is any better?
CC | 11 months, 3 weeks ago
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Personal responsibility
I think it’s a matter of personal responsibility. There is nothing that is on sale enough to put yourself, other adults, and children in danger because you choose to push, shove, and stampede your way to the shelves.
We are taught in elementary school, during fire drills, to stay calm, walk don’t run; exit the building in an orderly manner. Why are we taught this? So people don’t get hurt and trampled by a mob all trying to run out at the same time.
Sandra | 11 months, 1 week ago
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Retired
I think that the incident that happened at Wal-Mart is pathetic. A normal employee doing his job was killed by the ignorance of society over holiday specials. Where people are so irresponsible, this poor guy was doing his job.
My heart poured out to the family. My prayers and thoughts go out to them. That touched so many of the family’s relatives; mainly the employee’s wife and kids. This situation was so uncalled for.
Corporate greed is used to get people in these stores and is totally ridiculous. They should go back to the Blue Law and state and federal government should enforce these greedy behaviors in the retail market and prosecute those that need to be to the fullest extent of the law. A senseless life was taken.
Thank you and God bless.
MIKE KAM | 10 months, 2 weeks ago
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Canada
I agree, rather useful message.
LeraJenkins | 8 months, 3 weeks ago
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shopping
I think it is pretty bad when greed has taken over all of us and now someone has died and others hurt, for what reason, a television and a camera, where is the Christianity in all of this.
anonymous | 7 months, 2 weeks ago
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get real
most people in this counrty are greedy, and selfish, so what happened a wal-mart is the really the store fault, they knew that the crowd would to hard to handle, all they saw was dollars signs, thats it not a mob, wal-mart was the true culprit, the family should sue wal-mart for not protecting there employes
anthony | 6 months ago
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