Killed for the Sake of Consumerism

Okay. This is not funny. I find it truly disgusting that a person gets killed so that people can rush to buy their DVD players, HDTVs, and Toys.

How sick are we as people that we value stuff more than human life.

Original link: http://www.topix.com/forum/city/caruthersville-mo/T6Q0K6NS24ARNFECO

Just Google "Walmart Trample" and you'll find plenty more reporting of this incident.

A Wal-Mart worker died after being trampled when hundreds of shoppers smashed through the doors of a Long Island store Friday morning, police and witnesses said. The 34-year-old worker, employed as an overnight stock clerk, tried to hold back the unruly crowds just after the Valley Stream store opened at 5 a.m. Witnesses said the surging throngs of shoppers knocked the man down. He fell and was stepped on. As he gasped for air, shoppers ran over and around him. CAUGHT ON CAMERA: WAL-MART CROWD MOMENTS BEFORE DEADLY STAMPEDE "He was bum-rushed by 200 people," said Jimmy Overby, 43, a co-worker. "They took the doors off the hinges. He was trampled and killed in front of me. They took me down too...I literally had to fight people off my back." The unidentified victim was rushed to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 6:03 a.m., police said. The cause of death was pending. A 28-year-old pregnant woman was knocked to the floor during the mad rush. She was hospitalized for observation, police said. Three other shoppers suffered minor injuries, cops said. Before police shut down the store, eager shoppers streamed past emergency crews as they worked furiously to save the store clerk's life. "They were working on him, but you could see he was dead, said Halcyon Alexander, 29. "People were still coming through." Only a few stopped. "They're savages," said shopper Kimberly Cribbs, 27. "It's sad. It's terrible."

How do you NOT notice you're stepping on someone? How do you not help the pregnant lady on the ground? Just disgusting.

Black Friday in general is disgusting. Even when the crowd isn't killing people, they're still indulging some of humanity's baser instincts.

Black Friday is pitched like it's every good American's responsibility to get out there and spend, spend, spend money we don't have, so we can buy big screen TVs we don't need, and ship more American dollars straight overseas.

Savages is right.

And we have yet another reason not to shop at Mal Wart!

I said the same thing out loud when I heard about this, "How do you NOT notice you're stepping on someone?!"

I hope the people in the crows are identified on the surveillance cameras and prosecuted.

Urban Survival 101 per the Whole Earth Catalog circa. 1969:

In situation where you are to be crushed by a mob or swept away in one, pull your knees up to your chest and stay in a tight ball as if you were doing a cannonball. You will ride just at shoulder height and not be trampled.

And Black Friday sucks, which is why I prefer -_ Monday. (on line shopping day)

Dan

Tim Baxter wrote: Black Friday is pitched like it's every good American's responsibility to get out there and spend, spend, spend money we don't have, so we can buy big screen TVs we don't need, and ship more American dollars straight overseas.

I totally agree. My in-laws want to get a new flat screen TV because their friends have one. The current TV they have is 4-5 years old and has NOTHING wrong with it.

And I am probably the son-in-law that will have to get it....

....and they keep telling me about a TV that is only $800.

$800? I could have gotten that 1972 Datsun 240Z parts car with an extra mint dashboard for only $650.

This isn't the first time either...every year at least one person dies.

In fact this might not be the first one this year, and not the first at a Wal-Mart...a young woman was trampled to death when opening the doors to a plague of vicious line campers last week IIRC.

An editorial on Yahoo makes that case that Wal-Mart, instead of just expressing condolences, could offer a financial settlement to the family of the deceased. But don't hold your breathe waiting to see that story in print.

I NEVER shop Wal-mart (well, I did buy 2 bags of candy there a few months ago, sorry) but this obsession with getting a bargain...AT ANY PRICE, is/was fuelled by Wal-Mart. My Mom drives about 20 miles, one way, to get a "bargain" at Wal-Mart, I have (almost) no interest in anything they sell, at any price.

I grew up 5 minutes from that store and would not go into the Green Acres Mall area for money. This type of behavior is typical of the shoppers there. This is the same complex that invented metal detectors at the movies because people started shooting up the screen during Godfather III. I don't think the blame really goes to WalMart or black friday, as these sales happened all over the country and only one place had this happen, yet other stores in this area have had problems with violence for years.

instead of buying crap for your kids.

Take them camping, fishing, or for a walk in the woods.

so sad. all killed for some stupid plastic crap that will generally developmentally disable those who use it.

This time of the year reminds me of the best (charitable giving) and the worst (theft and blind consumerism) that humanity has to offer.

For a perfect example of the worst, I submit:

The last two mornings as I have gotten ready to walk out the door there has been one of those fukkin Lexus 'December To Remember' commercials that's even worse than the previous years.

If you haven't seen it, it starts with a ~10 year old girl standing in a 1980s era living room with a live pony talking about how she got this pony for Christmas and while she's talking the front door opens, her friend walks in with her parents and she's holding a stuffed pony. There's a look of jealousy on the friend's face and she drops the stuffed pony in disgust, then the camera goes back to the first little girl who's now talking with a self satisfied smirk on her face about how this Christmas will be... then the little girl's face morphs into a thirtysomething yuppie woman with the same self satisfied smirk who completes the little girl's sentence with the word ...'perfect' as she gazes lustfully at a Lexus SUV in her driveway with a big red bow on it.

They have managed to tie rampant consumerism of status symbols to oneupmanship (also known as naked greed and jealousy) in such a way that it's truly disgusting.

Jensenman wrote: This time of the year reminds me of the best (charitable giving) and the worst (theft and blind consumerism) that humanity has to offer. For a perfect example of the worst, I submit: The last two mornings as I have gotten ready to walk out the door there has been one of those fukkin Lexus 'December To Remember' commercials that's even worse than the previous years. If you haven't seen it, it starts with a ~10 year old girl standing in a 1980s era living room with a live pony talking about how she got this pony for Christmas and while she's talking the front door opens, her friend walks in with her parents and she's holding a stuffed pony. There's a look of jealousy on the friend's face and she drops the stuffed pony in disgust, then the camera goes back to the first little girl who's now talking with a self satisfied smirk on her face about how this Christmas will be... then the little girl's face morphs into a thirtysomething yuppie woman with the same self satisfied smirk who completes the little girl's sentence with the word ...'perfect' as she gazes lustfully at a Lexus SUV in her driveway with a big red bow on it. They have managed to tie rampant consumerism of status symbols to oneupmanship (also known as naked greed and jealousy) in such a way that it's truly disgusting.

I better move all the hard objects away from the TV in anticipation of that one >:(

Jensenman wrote: For a perfect example of the worst, I submit: The last two mornings as I have gotten ready to walk out the door there has been one of those fukkin Lexus 'December To Remember' commercials that's even worse than the previous years.

I hate those commercials. I hate most commercials. But I really hate those commercials.

The one that ticked me off was the little kid going on about how the greatest holiday memory was getting his first Big Wheel, and how wonderful it was and going on about how "you can't top the 'Big Wheel' memory!"... and then the guy forgets about it when he sees the new Lexus Whatever (It was gray; I think it was a sedan).

berkeley you Lexus! You aren't as cool as a kids first experience zipping around in a vehicle for the first time. Your commercial insults my childhood.

This really is sad and disgusting.

ignorant wrote: instead of buying crap for your kids. Take them camping, fishing, or for a walk in the woods. so sad. all killed for some stupid plastic crap that will generally developmentally disable those who use it.

I gotta thank my Dad for never getting me video games. He got me all sorts of sports equipment, took me fishing, etc. etc. etc... and now I find video game as boring as an autotrajic Toyota Camry, and would much rather play a sport or do anything outside.

This ad may top my most hated list, displacing both the "I'm a Mac/I'm a PC" bullE36 M3 and Microsoft's rebutting ads which are almost as stupid and just as useless.

I like to think the tide is turning. Hell, the beginning of the book/movie Fight Club is about as anti-consumerism as you get. Now we're talking about how spending money on things we don't need is barbaric.

Quite possibly we're all sick of going into debt to buy stuff we can live without.

Xceler8x wrote: Now we're talking about how spending money on things we don't need is barbaric. Quite possibly we're all sick of going into debt to buy stuff we can live without.

Yeah, but I need those new Konis and DOT-Rs!

Noone was trampled outside the Tire Rack, you should be ok

Right on Jensenman…a great irony can be found in observing how reliably trying to appear rich prevents you from actually becoming rich.

Excellent expressions of this can be found in gambling and jewelry where the former isn’t interesting unless you’re waging an unreasonably large sum and the later fails to achieve its intended purpose of exaggerating your affluence unless you again, spend an unreasonably large sum.

What percent of people pay cash for their Lexus??? I can’t imagine buying anything beyond basic, safe, & reliable transportation on credit…what is so hard about using the fact that you don’t have sufficient cash in hand to serve as an indicator the you CAN’T @#%$#@% AFFORD IT!!!

All three of my cars are paid for & I have no intention of ever paying interest on a depreciating asset whether it be a car or a widescreen TV or a new puppy…I E36 M3 you not, I saw a “90 Day Same As Cash” banner in the window of a pet store recently.

I gotta thank my Dad for never getting me video games. He got me all sorts of sports equipment, took me fishing, etc. etc. etc... and now I find video game as boring as an autotrajic Toyota Camry, and would much rather play a sport or do anything outside.

I was never a big fan of sports, but I played basketball (quite terribly but I tried) in grades 9 and 10. My parents never "bought" me ANY video game console (or computer, or TV, or car, or.. or...). At Christmas they might have bought me one game. However, I LOVE video games. I have some great memories playing some fantastic games, a lot of times with friends. And the racing games fueled my passion for cars (at the age of 14 there isn't much you can do with cars if you don't have any money). By the age of 15 when I could start handling myself I was buying, fixing, selling cars (ALL my own money). By 16 I was auto-x'ing. And look at me now, I go all over North America racing cars. If it hadn't been for video games, my interest in all things motorized might have been a lot more lacking. What I am trying to point out here is that video games (or having them) shouldn't be the issue. Personal responsibility and self control top anything. Anyways...

Yes, the trampling was disgusting. I always go out on Boxing day for our massive sales, and all the stores require you to line up, take a number (or something similiar) and stand in line (I rarely buy anything for myself unless it is massively discounted). In fact, Best Buy and FutureShop do NOT allow you to browse. If there is a specific limited quantity item they give you a ticket with the location of it, you get it and leave.

I would imagine that Canadians are more likely to stand in a line. We are a city that routinely knocks down old people then beats them with their own cane for making us step over them.

RX Reven' wrote: What percent of people pay cash for their Lexus??? I can’t imagine buying anything beyond basic, safe, & reliable transportation on credit…what is so hard about using the fact that you don’t have sufficient cash in hand to serve as an indicator the you CAN’T @#%$#@% AFFORD IT!!!

I got a small loan for my cheap Miata. I figured I could set aside money to buy one in a year, or I could buy one and take a year to pay it off, and be able to enjoy the car now. And the loan is also the first big thing on my credit rating, so I can benefit from it too.

$4000 for a non-depreciating Miata is a bit different than $40,000 for a brand new Lexus.

Hi Salanis,

I don’t see your decision to get the Miata on credit as a violation of my principles…as you pointed out, it won’t depreciate and it’s about as inexpensive as you can get with a decent car.

My dad gave me a book called 'The Milionaire Next Door'. Me, I have no illusions about becoming a millionaire but reading that book certainly was an eye opener.

For instance: the vast majority of millionaires in the US are worth between 1 and 4 million and generally live in a middle class suburb somewhere, so the illusion of the millionaire in the swanky oceanfront palace is the exception rather than the rule.

Most of these people made their money investing in rental real estate. Very few have a milion in cash on hand or in the bank, it's generally tied up in that property. Even fewer inherited their money.

At the time the book was written (mid '90's), the #1 vehicle of these millionaires was the Ford F150.

The most eye opening part of the book: the #1 buyers of luxury cars like Mercedes and Lexus is working people in the $40K to $75K bracket.

Not only is shopping an awful, painful, and often boring (except when shopping for tires, car parts, or tools) experience, it's now certifiably a health risk!

I would imagine that Canadians are more likely to stand in a line. We are a city that routinely knocks down old people then beats them with their own cane for making us step over them.

Sorry Wally, I keep forgetting to hit reset after I've rejected regular ol' reality and substituted my own common sense model. :(