This is just an idea, but I hope it gains traction. Lots of it.
Thanksgiving is one of America's "national" holidays. It's not like Christmas, or Easter, but rather it's unique to Americans; it marks an important point in the history of the United States. It's one of the things that draws us together, and as part of that, it focuses on family. Even for families in disfunctional turmoil, often they will put aside their differences to sit around a table and share this holiday together.
But...some families won't be together this Thursday, or they won't be together for part of the day. The reason? They have to work. And I'm not talking about public servants, who are selflessly protecting the peace, putting out fires, responding to emergencies, defending us here or abroad, or other such necessary jobs.
I'm talking about the poor people who will have to leave their families for no reason but to go sell "stuff" at a discount in advance of "Black Friday." It's bad enough that they have to be in at the crack of dawn (or just before midnight) on Friday, but it's pushing further and further back...all in search of consumer dollars.
This evening I saw numerous commercials for Target and Kohls, both of which will open at 6 pm this Thursday, and I'm sadly sure the list of such greed isn't all that short.
Thus, my idea is to let these retailers feel our disappointment, and in a very tangible way.
If you've read this far, then it's probably obvious that I will not be shopping this Thursday at 6. But I'm going further than that: I refuse to set foot in a Target or Kohls store until 2014 is over. And I'll do the same for any other such greedy retailer. Heck, if Costco can manage to survive even though they let their employees spend Thanksgiving with their employees, why can't these other retailing giants?
Here's the bottom line. There are plenty of other places you can shop, and if enough of us boycott such stores through the holiday season, perhaps they will miss their revenue projections, and dare I hope that they might even see a net reduction in their profits from last year? (Honestly, I'd feel thankful about that...)
So who's in? Feel free to share this around on other forums or social media if you like the idea. Perhaps together we can stem the tide and restore some basic "thanks" to Thanksgiving.
Speaking of which, Happy Thanksgiving, and thanks for your time.
Thanksgiving is one of America's "national" holidays. It's not like Christmas, or Easter, but rather it's unique to Americans; it marks an important point in the history of the United States. It's one of the things that draws us together, and as part of that, it focuses on family. Even for families in disfunctional turmoil, often they will put aside their differences to sit around a table and share this holiday together.
But...some families won't be together this Thursday, or they won't be together for part of the day. The reason? They have to work. And I'm not talking about public servants, who are selflessly protecting the peace, putting out fires, responding to emergencies, defending us here or abroad, or other such necessary jobs.
I'm talking about the poor people who will have to leave their families for no reason but to go sell "stuff" at a discount in advance of "Black Friday." It's bad enough that they have to be in at the crack of dawn (or just before midnight) on Friday, but it's pushing further and further back...all in search of consumer dollars.
This evening I saw numerous commercials for Target and Kohls, both of which will open at 6 pm this Thursday, and I'm sadly sure the list of such greed isn't all that short.
Thus, my idea is to let these retailers feel our disappointment, and in a very tangible way.
If you've read this far, then it's probably obvious that I will not be shopping this Thursday at 6. But I'm going further than that: I refuse to set foot in a Target or Kohls store until 2014 is over. And I'll do the same for any other such greedy retailer. Heck, if Costco can manage to survive even though they let their employees spend Thanksgiving with their employees, why can't these other retailing giants?
Here's the bottom line. There are plenty of other places you can shop, and if enough of us boycott such stores through the holiday season, perhaps they will miss their revenue projections, and dare I hope that they might even see a net reduction in their profits from last year? (Honestly, I'd feel thankful about that...)
So who's in? Feel free to share this around on other forums or social media if you like the idea. Perhaps together we can stem the tide and restore some basic "thanks" to Thanksgiving.
Speaking of which, Happy Thanksgiving, and thanks for your time.
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