Black Friday - Some thoughts and responses

Black Friday.

Tomorrow is “Black Friday. When the masses run mindlessly into stores to buy things that they really don't need, can't afford, and have no chance of making them happy because of capitalist propaganda. I've also heard them called “commercials.”  It has been pushed back to Thanksgiving Day in some stores.

I also heard a (very racist) comment about this day about a week ago. Two males talking. One asks the other “Why is it called 'Black Friday?'” The other responded,” Because people act like crazy N-words trying to buy stuff on their Christmas lists. Kind of like what happened in Ferguson.” I weigh 135 lbs on a good day. Their combined weight was probably 3 time mine, and they both towered over my 5'10” height by almost a foot. Trying to correct him and his associate, with the expletives that were flying out of their mouths, was a lost cause in my eyes. I doubt they would have responded to reason. They went on to talk a bout Bill O'Reily and his “Killing” series. I wasn't interested in being next on his title list.

And people wonder why country folk are thought of as stupid.

Then I was watching the news today and they showed very orderly lines of people going into stores for pre-Black Friday sales. The stores were all in suburban areas of Buffalo – Amherst, Clarence, Williamsville. All white majority population with a preponderance of wealth. These communities grew during the post war boom and the white-flight of the 1970's when busing was introduced in Buffalo. People didn't want their children educated “with those black kids,” so they moved out and took their money with them. What was left behind was the poor lower classes that couldn't afford to support what Buffalo needed to remain competitive in education. The wealthy that stayed sent their children to private schools. Those that didn't made sure their children went to the “better” schools.

Of course tomorrow I will turn on the news and see stories about the crazed rush to buy stuff. There will be You-Tube™ videos and all sorts of other pictures on the various social media sites. Some people will be injured and hopefully nobody will die, as has happened in years past, sadly. And I know why the two men compared the Black Friday events to rioting. They are mindless. (I will distinguish between the rational protesters that are speaking about injustices and speak only of the people that mindlessly destroy property, steal, etc. during those events.) It literally is capitalist propaganda run amok.

Then there's small business Saturday. Another way to get your capitalist fix of shopping. If I do any gift shopping, it will probably be at small local stores. East Aurora is a good place to visit, especially Viddler's. There is just some real strange stuff in that store. Plus the bags of popcorn. Fresh popped in that cute little cart.  (Ok. I feel the power of the capitalist propaganda there.)

In all seriousness, I don't do much shopping for Christmas anymore. It's lost its luster. Being single and having no children, I don't feel the pressure either. That being said, I realize that capitalism has turned what used to be just another day of the year into a mass spending frenzy. It wasn't until the early 1900's that Christmas began being what we would recognize as today's practices. And I know we can't go back, so what do we do?

First, if you need to buy gifts for people, go the local route. Do the “Small Business Saturday” events. What is spent locally stays local. The stores I go to know my political leaning. They take my money and they know that I prefer them to the big box stores and on-line ripoff artists and slave drivers (like Amazon™.)

Second, limit the amount of money that is going to be spent. I limit my spending to the $5 bills that I save up from January 1 on. When I get change, I set aside the $5s and that is it. Cash only. No debt, No interest on the credit card.Not much money either,  so the gifts really require some thought.

Third, remember the “less fortunate” - the victims of capitalism in the homeless shelters, soup kitchens, and women's violence shelters. Donate to them. The local Salvation Army is another good place to give to. I have been told that everything that is donated locally stays local. I can deal with that. And remember the Veteran's Administration/Hospital and the “Old Folk's Homes.” (What are they called now?  "Elder Care Facilities?  That sounds really cheesy to me.)There are people in those places that have no one visit them, not even family, almost all year long.

And if you do go out on Friday, join in a $15 NOW protest instead. Stand up for the workers and their families.

This year, make someone thankful that they saw you.

They might even listen to you a little bit more when you start talking socialism.