Well done, Kel Campbell, well done. The Black Friday outrage has long bugged me, but I couldn’t fully articulate exactly why. Your essay has hit the half price nail on the head.

My anger is also piqued when anti-Black Friday groupies claim to be championing those in retail because the poor dears “should be home with their families.” This is a belittling attitude treating people who choose to work retail as if they cannot make such determinations on their own.

Those who work in retail often have the opportunity to earn extra money during the holidays and they factor this extra money into their budgets each year. Some people only work retail during the holidays to earn extra money. How are we suppose to be ‘helping’ these individuals by boycotting their places of employment during their times of peak earning?

It’s ironic how most of the articles I see around Thanksgiving are about how to cope with the stress of being with one’s family for the entire day. Alongside the ‘Survive Your Family’ articles are the articles telling people not to shop on Black Friday so we don’t deprive the workers of the pleasure of being home all day with their families. Strikes me funny-strange.