This past Friday, “Black Friday” to the retailers, a man was trampled to death by shoppers stampeding into a New York Wal-Mart.
A man was trampled. To death. By shoppers.
It was an atrocity I still can’t comprehend. And I haven’t written about it because I couldn’t find the words. Over at the Washington Post, however, Michelle Singletary found the words today. In “Attention, Shoppers: Where’s your humanity?” she tells it the way I wanted to. Only much, much better.
Black Friday. Indeed, it was.
Pied Type
on Facebook
Just so sad.
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The man’s family is suing Wal-Mart, and I hope they win a fortune. A strong message needs to be sent.
Posted by JavaQueen | December 4, 2008, 12:44 am MDTActually, that was on Long Island, I am embarrassed to say. It happened in Valley Stream, which used to be a mostly decent area but has since fallen victim to the same economic issues much of Long Island has had to confront for 20 years, and is now considered not so great. My man carries and even he wouldn’t go to that mall.
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Corrected. Thank you. Do you think this would have been less likely to happen in a newer, more successful mall? I’m cynical enough to think it could have happened at any “big box” store; it was only a matter of time.
Posted by Terri | December 4, 2008, 11:17 am MDTWhy people fall for the “Black Friday” gimmick is beyond me.
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Same reason they buy lottery tickets. Hoping to get lucky and get something for virtually nothing. Lottery is longer odds, but a helluva lot safer, apparently.
Posted by leafless | December 5, 2008, 12:48 pm MDT