As much as I like the utopian concept of a No Shop Day I ventured out on Black Friday to buy a few things. Yes, I even went to the dreaded store that liberals hate — Wal-Mart. Like some of my friends I realize Wal-Mart has its shortcomings in more areas than on which I have time to elaborate. But after looking long and hard I didn’t believe I would be able to find an 18 x 18 x 1 central heat/air filter anywhere else in this city. That is what is wrong with all the high-minded activism against Wal-Mart and the like. They’ve got us over a barrel and until reasonably priced alternatives for all the things we need are fully available in both urban and rural areas at places which present a viable alternative to Wally World, a few people not shopping at Wal-Mart are not going to make all that much difference.
With that said our holiday spirit ugliness certainly seemed to raise its head at a couple of Wal-Marts on Friday. One of those scenes was at the very store where I later shopped in Beaumont, Texas. It seems a hundred or so early-bird shoppers all flocked to the electronics section to buy about a handful of laptop computers on sale and … well you do the math. An off-duty policeman apparently thought things were getting out of hand and he shot off a blast of pepper spray, according to news reports. No one was seriously hurt, but I’m sure someone will sue.
What the hell is wrong with people? Are material goods of such importance that we lose all semblance of civility? I guess so. It’s only just after Thanksgiving. Looks like a long holiday season ahead.