The WAR on Thanksgiving: One Turkey's Revenge on Christmas

The first shots of the War on Thanksgiving have been fired.  This civil encroachment of the holidays comes from the aggressor and architect of this manic season of spending- Big Business.  Companies have moved the opening bells of Black Friday to Thursday evening... ON Thanksgiving this year.  Someone has to stand up and defend the last morsel of what is our National Day of Thanks.

Inks on Bristol / 2012 / Brandt Hardin

In the United States, mass consumerism has become both sport and religion.  Bloated companies and retailers demand larger profits year after year.  The climate is such that holding steady profit is poor performance and any loss of financial ground is utter failure.  Men and women in suits find themselves in jobs more stressful than the most labor-intensive work one could ever find.

As with tradition, production and retail workers are under the gun this year with companies vying for record number, bigger sales, and higher turnouts.   Even as an initial concept, a "shopping holiday" held immediately after our day to "give thanks" is woven from pure greed marketing a literal frenzy to the public under the banner of Black Friday.  This annual mania leads to physical assaults and shopper on shopper violence. In several instances, people have been trampled to death (which usually only happens when a crowd is dispersing FROM a building in emergency situations.)  It is a truly odd enigma too see human beings lose their lives in the ultimate quest for... low low prices.

A crusade has begun here in the United States to take back the holidays.  Earlier this year, I brought you the epic tale of Christ reclaiming his day of triumph from the Easter Bunny.  (Click HERE if you missed out!)  The storm is coming as unions and droves of retail workers across the country are threatening to strike and stage walkouts from their stores.  Many of these workers are paid substandard wages with little or no benefits.  Wal-Mart alone has a large percentage of their workforce who collect food stamps... this is called the "working poor."  At the same time, the company's CEO makes in one day what an average worker at one of his stores makes in an entire year.  While retail sales set records, so does the money being funneled to the top 1% as the income inequality in our country is also at an ALL-TIME HIGH.  Workers aren't the only combatants in this- the most dangerous game.  YOU play a role as well by choosing whether or not to buy into the hysteria.  Imagine if every American stayed home Thursday night with their families and the workers left the stores to join their own loved ones.  Visualize a country willing to really stop for one day and give thanks for what they already have.  There was a time this happened once a week... now once a year... but tomorrow will it be never?  How far do we let our own consumerism go when businesses dips their fingers into your Thanksgiving?

[Click HERE for my post on The Harvest and the true meaning of Thanksgiving]