Occupy Wall Street-inspired protesters are eyeing a new target -- Target. And dozens of other companies.
A campaign under the name "Occupy Black Friday" is trying to enlist supporters to boycott just about every major retailer, and quite a few mid-sized ones, the day after Thanksgiving. The protesters are casting a wide net, urging people to demonstrate against the top 100 publicly traded retail stores -- a list that includes everything from Wal-Mart to Target to Dick's Sporting Goods to Dollar Tree.
"The idea is simple, hit the corporations that corrupt and control American politics where it hurts, their profits," the group's Facebook page reads, describing Black Friday as the "one day where the mega-corporations blatantly dictate our actions."
I don't like that retailers have taken a Holiday and made it about commerce, but I don't have a problem with large companies making money, or employing people and growing local economies. I just wish they would take the day off for Thanksgiving. The whole day. It just makes life more real. And for many people who cannot afford to not have a job, it will show them that company cares about them just a little.
The "Occupiers," (Side note: MBB and I are waiting for a scandal in that group so that we can have two ubiquitous terms come together: OccupyGate!) just want to make a mess off everything. Like the NBA lockout, who gets hurt? Not the players, not the owners, but the arena workers, security, concessions, parking and souvenir vendors. It's always the little guy who is going to hurt most, and is on the front line. These Occupiers are hypocrites, they are taking food donations, and monetary donations out of the hands and mouths of the truly needy to perpetuate their anarchist goals. Plus, the convenience and price reductions that the big box stores provide are a boon to the "99%." Though many are torn by the way some stores treat their employees, it's a lot easier to boycott fur and blood diamonds than it is to boycott a place where you can buy two ski caps and two pairs of mittens for a cute little guy for under $4. (NOT ON SALE!) Essentially, like all things in life it's complicated.
So let's keep Thanksgiving as Thanksgiving, and come Friday morning let the frenzy begin, if nothing else, it will be a good feeling knowing some of the people in the store aren't there to grab that twenty dollar DVD player out of your hands. They'll just tsk at you when you do.
Then it will Occupy a nice place in your den.
2 comments:
I agree that the Occupiers are not good company but their reasons are very different. Thanksgiving (a holiday that is actually about something other than gift giving or receiving) should remain a national day of thanksgiving and spent in the company of family and/or friends creating a battle plan for Fri morning!!!
i can't see how the boycott would work since if you are sleeping in a tent in zucotti park, you wouldn't be inclined to go to Best Buy on Friday morning anyway.
Why blame the stores for being open? No one is holding a gun to your head to stand on line from midnight to 5. The worst thing about the big stores is that they drive the little stores out of business and create monopolies.
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