By: Sarah Rance
NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y.- Its that time of year again when people will be finishing their Thanksgiving dinners and heading out to the store for Black Friday deals. However, no one seems to consider the people who are being forced to leave their families and go clock into work to assist shoppers. Black Friday shopping times have been pushed back so much, that for many stores it beings on Thanksgiving Day.
I worked in retail for three years. When my family was sitting down at 6 p.m. to eat dinner, I was on my way to work. My Thanksgiving meal consisted of a chocolate chip granola bar.
Black Friday deals should not start on Thanksgiving Day. Thanksgiving is a holiday to celebrate being with family and friends, not being forced to work because some people can’t wait a few more hours to get their deals. And let’s be honest, that’s usually what is happening. I never got to choose if I would work or not. I was told I would work or else I wouldn’t have a job.
Holidays need to be respected, and Thanksgiving is no different. It is embarrassing that some people cannot celebrate a holiday with their family because greedy corporations want to make an extra buck.
The worst part is, I would be willing to bet that the people working in corporate positions who make the decisions of what time to open the stores are sitting at home with their families while it all is going down on Thanksgiving Day.
It is absolutely awful that stores are opening on Thanksgiving simply due to the fact that it makes them more money. Black Friday events probably already brought in a lot of extra money, so opening on Thanksgiving is just a greedy way of bringing in even more. There should be no problem waiting until Friday for shopping. It is time to stop ruining some people’s Thanksgiving and keep stores closed until Friday.
Niagara Wire 